By Jacob Aggrey
The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has officially handed over a newly installed DAS Portable Prefab Biogas Plant that converts organic waste into cooking gas and waste bins to St. Mary’s Senior High School to improve waste management practices and promote environmental sustainability in the city.
The project is expected to generate 2m³ of biogas daily, equivalent to 1kg of LPG, cut the school’s monthly expenditure of 7,200 Ghana cedis on cooking gas, reduce reliance on fossil fuels for cooking and lowering the school’s energy costs, as well as provide renewable energy. The plant is also expected to produce bio fertilizers and promote sustainable farming practices, support local waste management, as well as foster environmental education among students among others.
The initiative, dubbed ” The Clean Accra: Source Separation of Waste Project,” is one of 12 projects under the Youth Climate Action Fund, led by Emmanuel McCarthy and aims to educate students as well as staff on waste separation while leveraging advanced technology to transform organic waste into clean, renewable energy. Speaking at the event, on Tuesday, 26th November 2024, the Mayor of Accra Hon. Elizabeth Sackey stressed the dual benefits of the biogas plant, which not only addresses environmental concerns but also offers financial relief. She noted that the project was a practical solution to waste management challenges and a cost-saving measure, adding that the project would significantly reduce the cost of buying LPG and enable management to allocate resources to other essential areas.
The Mayor stressed the need for proper waste separation at the source to ensure the biogas system operates efficiently and urged the school to make full use of the colour-coded bins provided under the project. “Separating waste is very dear to my heart. We have provided containers for plastics, paper, and organic waste, and I encourage every student to use them properly.
This is not just about keeping the environment clean but also about creating useful resources…It’s an innovative way to recycle organic waste, and I hope schools and homes across Accra will adopt similar solutions in the future,” she said. “We are working hard to address climate change, and I am pleased that our efforts have attracted partnerships and funding to bring solutions like this to our schools and communities,” she added.
Enoch Kofi Boadu, Chief Executive of Das Biogas, said the system would significantly reduce the amount of organic waste sent to landfills and stressed the importance of proper waste separation to ensure the plant’s optimal performance. “The organic waste goes into the plant to produce cooking gas. Plastics and metals must be separated and disposed of properly. This plant will not only help the school save money on cooking gas but also serve as an educational tool for students to learn about environmental conservation,” Boadu stated.
Rev. Ernest Asiedu, Assistant Head of Academics at St. Mary’s Senior High School, expressed gratitude to the AMA for selecting the school for the project. He said the biogas plant would reduce waste on campus while instilling the value of sustainability in students. Emmanuel McCarthy, a project lead and graduate of Pentecost University, explained that the initiative stemmed from research on turning waste into resources and reiterated the importance of separating waste at the source, particularly in schools and homes, to maximize the benefits of such innovative systems.
