Abstract
Crop residues are common in rural Ghana due to the predominant role agriculture plays in livelihood activities in these communities. In this paper we investigate the prospects of exploiting agricultural crop residues for rural development in Ghana through bioenergy schemes. A theoretical energy potential of 623.84 PJ per year, which is equivalent to 19,781 MW was estimated using crop production data from the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations and residue-to-product ratios. Ghana has a total installed generation capacity of 4577 MW which is four times less the energy potential of crop residues in the country. Cocoa pod husks were identified as important biomass resources for energy generation as they are currently wasted. To further assess the energy potential of cocoa pod husks, different cocoa pod husks samples were collected across the six cocoa growing regions in Ghana and thermo-chemically characterised using proximate and ultimate analysis. The low levels of nitrogen and sulphur observed, together with the high heating value, suggest that cocoa pod husks and for that matter crop residues are eco-friendly feedstock that can be used to power rural communities in Ghana.
Highlights
Agriculture is a predominant livelihood activity for Ghanaians in general but rural communities in particular
Higher proportions of oxygen in biomass feedstock reduces the heating value of the fuel as it increases the emission of carbon dioxide (CO2 ) and water (H2 O) formation
The trace amounts of nitrogen and sulphur observed in the CPH samples allude to the eco-friendly nature of cocoa pod husks
Summary
Agriculture is a predominant livelihood activity for Ghanaians in general but rural communities in particular. Millions of tonnes of agricultural residues are produced in Ghana every year While these agricultural residues are important assets that can be exploited for power production, they are largely under-utilised as current energy uses for them are limited to cooking and heating through inefficient applications. Electricity, heat and other energy carriers could be produced from agricultural crop residues through anaerobic digestion, gasification, direct combustion, pyrolysis and fermentation. Agricultural crop residues which are in enormous abundance could be utilised to provide modern sources of energy including electricity in rural Ghana. Since electricity coverage in rural Ghana is very low and poverty rate is high, this paper seeks to bridge the gap between rural and urban poverty using agricultural crop residues to expand electricity access to rural households. The analysis of cocoa pod husk and the determination of the higher heating values help to demonstrate the energy potential available in each region
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
