Palm biomass waste as supplementary source of electricity generation in Ghana: Case of the Juaben Oil Mills

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to examine the potential of palm biomass, taking a case of the Juaben Oil Mills in the Ashanti Region of Ghana, which has over the years generated electricity for its operations from its waste products and other benefits that have accrued to the company and the host community. Primary data collection and intensive desk study approaches were employed albeit qualitatively, to describe the use of palm biomass as supplementary source of electricity generation in Ghana. The study showed that there is enough potential (waste by-products) for electricity generation to supplement current production from hydropower to meet growing demand. However, policy and institutional arrangements do not easily allow generation and extension for communal benefits. The authors therefore recommend a relook at existing policy and institutional arrangements to help promote this alternative source of energy for efficient and sustainable domestic and industrial uses. We also argue that ensuring efficiency in energy generation calls for R&D into its commercial potential and explore more efficient means of managing industrial and other agro biofuel wastes in developing economies. Future energy policy must also create and harness diversity of available biomass resources and reduce the delivery risks of the resources.

Determinants of Intensity of Biomass Utilization: Evidence from Cassava Smallholders in Nigeria

“…Figure 1 is an illustration of cascading uses of cassava biomass utilization in the form of a value web production concept. Economies that currently show a tendency towards agricultural value webs include the sugarcane industry in Brazil, rice industries in China, and the oil palm waste industry in Ghana [7][8][9]. In these economies, full utilization of agricultural biomass predominates such that waste is minimized and maximum returns are derived from the agricultural biomass.…”

Using renewable energy to meet the energy needs of smallholder farmers: Are there policies to promote adoption in Ghana?

“…As of 2019, a total of 78,614kW RE generation capacity was installed, an increase from 2,995kW in 2013. (Amankwah, 2011;Asibey, Yeboah, & Adabor, 2018;Kuamoah, 2020). This may be attributable to the cost of financing to fund RE adoption with high-interest rates for loans, insufficient incentives (tax rebate, subsidies), inadequate access to finance and long-term capital, or insufficient technical know-how for the operation and maintenance of renewable energy technologies (Mahama, Derkyi, & Nwabue, 2020).…”

“…In another example, oil palm residues from Ghanaian farms have been used to generate electricity (Asibey et al, 2018). Generation of energy at the farm level can serve farm-energy needs and facilitate a potential scale-up to rapidly accelerate the rural electrification programme that aims to extend electricity to rural communities not connected to the national grid.…”

Energy, economic, and environmental analysis of 10-MW biomass gasification based power generation in Malaysia

“…Thus, a door is open to Malaysia and neighboring countries to exploit the available biomass resources for economic development as well as sustainable power production from biomass. 6–8 However, appropriate technology needs to be developed and deployed to capture and/or harvest and utilize these resources for large scale power generation.…”