By Mabel Annang
To help promote the use of renewable energy, the Ministry of Energy intends distributing three million units of clean and efficient biomass cookstoves across the country.
It also targets to achieve 50 percent use of LPG in homes by 2030.
A Deputy Minister of Energy Mr. Andrew Agyapa Mercer said this at the launch of the third edition of the Energy Commission’s Senior High Schools Renewable Energy Challenge in Accra.
The Energy Commision through the Senior High School’s Renewable Energy Challenge initiative promotes research in public second cycle schools and encourages the development of ideas and concepts into actual energy products.
The challenge which is organised in collaboration with Ghana Education Service raises awareness on renewable energy and energy efficiency among the various second cycle institutions.
The initiative provides mentorship to students and creates the platform for them to exhibit energy related projects. Two successful competitions have organised since its inception in 2019.
The theme for this year’s challenge “clean cooking and food processing using Renewable Energy Technologies” is to encourage the efficient and cheaper use of biomass and LPG for cooking.
Speaking at the launch, a Deputy Minister of Energy Mr. Andrew Agyapa Mercer the Ministry intends providing funding for this year’s challenge.
“ The Ministry of Energy intends to fund the further development and promotion of the most outstanding and innovative clean cooking solution from this year’s Challenge for further development and promotion”
“I would encourage all prospective participants to put their all into their respective project. Think deep and come out with the best innovations that can transform the cooking sector in the country.” Mr. Mercer intimated.
Deputy Director General at the Ghana Education Service in charge of Quality and Access Dr. Kwabena Tandoh urged the students to do their best during the challenge and called for effective collaboration among stakeholders to help nurture the students to promote national development.
Executive Secretary of the Energy Commission Mr. Oscar Amonoo-Neizer gives a breakdown of the requirements of the Challenge.
“Mr. Amonoo-Neizer said “participating schools are encouraged to come up with new product innovations, accessories to products or digital innovations to improve the performance or efficiency of existing projects in the above mentioned areas. The projects to be submitted should aid individuals or businesses in the residential, commercial or industrial sectors of the clean cooking value chain.”
The wife of the Vice President Samira Bawumia who is a Global Champion for Clean Cooking Alliance highlighted the effect of safe cooking.
“Unfortunately, this simple act of cooking using unclean cooking solutions and fuels leads to household air pollution and is responsible for more than twenty thousand premature unwell deaths in Ghana from non-communicable diseases; such as stroke, heart related diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease as such as COPD and lung cancer.”
President Akufo Addo has pledged his unflinching support to the Energy Commission’s Senior High School’s Renewable Energy Challenge and intends adopting it into the educational calendar.
Below is the video;
