TALKING TRASH-ENERGY FROM WASTE (EFW) TECHNOLOGY

UNCLAS ACCRA 000068 FOR OES/PCI E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SENV KCRM KGHG COM XY ZF GH SUBJECT: TALKING TRASH-ENERGY FROM WASTE (EFW) TECHNOLOGY SUMMARY ¶1. The Regional Environmental Officer (REO) met with Mr. Samuel Anku of the Ghanaian Environmental Protection Agency (GEPA) and a project consultant, Mr. Dyson Jumpah, on January 23, 2009 as follow up to previous discussions regarding solid waste management in Ghana and a recent proposal for a public private partnership (PPP) to deploy EFW technology as a means to generate electricity (around 50 megawatts),mitigate carbon, and promote economic growth. END SUMMARY. GEPA ¶2. Perhaps the combination of improved incineration technology, carbon market schemes and municipal solid waste management challenges served as the catalyst for a change of the GEPA position on waste incineration for the production of electricity in Ghana. In 2007, the GEPA Executive Director, Mr. Jonathan Allotey remarked negatively on the using solid waste as fuel to generate electricity. Mr. Anku and Mr. Jumpah stated the project feasibility was completed in late 2008 and a tentative project start date is set for April 2009. They did not offer additional details on the project. TECHNOLOGY ¶3. EFW technology was initially developed as a solution to safely remediate contaminated sites encumbered by the most dangerous manmade contaminants including military waste, pharmaceutical and medical waste. The proprietary EFW technology, Canadian origin, is approved for use in all nine of the US EPA regions and has an ISO 14064-2 certification. A Canadian firm, Energy Income Trust International (EITI) and the Kumasi Metropolitan Authority (KMA) are engaged in initial efforts develop a partnership. According to a KMA officer, Mr. Tony Mensah, the project should begin sometime in the second quarter of 2009. The KMA is supplying the land for the project site, utilities (water, electricity and telecommunications) and EITI will provide the equipment, technical and operation personnel. Further, the partnership is designed for 20 years, represents a $250-350 million USD investment over the life of the project, and ownership is transferred to the KMA at the end of the partnership. COMMENT: An EFW system is typically dependent on a specific volume of waste and in some cases, certain types of waste to maintain commodity output. Although Mr. Anku confirmed Ghana would not import waste for fuel necessary to operate an EFW facility, it will be interesting to talk trash with project scientists, plant operators and Ghanaian Customs officials to learn if illicit trafficking and dumping of undesirable waste material is occurring in and around Ghana. END COMMENT. ¶4. For further discussion contact Geoffrey Hunt at +233-21- 741- 417 or Patience Charway at +233-21-741-839. TEITELBAUM