The potential of using organic side-streams produced in Ghana for generation of bio-fuel

Abstract

Bio-fuel can be generated from organic side-streams of maize, rice, millet, sorghum and groundnut by using fast pyrolysis technology. Data on side-streams of these crops were obtained from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) in 2010 for the study. The study shows that the estimated total crop side-streams generated was 3,475,413 t of which 2,345,903.5 t of bio-fuel can be produced, given a potential energy equivalent of 42,226 PJ/y. The result shows a growth rate of 12.9 per cent in energy equivalent potential for synthetic fuel production as compared to the estimated production in 2009. Northern Region had the highest energy potential of 9,676 PJ/y (22.91%) of the total energy equivalent of bio-fuel, whereas, Greater Accra Region had the lowest with 183 PJ/y (0.43%). It is recommended that the available energy potential at the three northern regions of Ghana be utilised effectively when renewable energy policy is improved for a wider applications of side-streams from crops.