Assessment of crop residues for off-grid rural electrification options in Ghana

Abstract

Presently, about 28% of the populace living in rural communities lack access to electricity to meet their basic needs in Ghana. Biomass is gaining importance globally as a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels due to rising energy demand, the high cost of fossil fuels, depleting fossil fuel reserves, and the greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel combustion. This study examined the technical bioenergy potential available from crop residues. The economic feasibility of electricity generation via biomass combustion and gasification technologies is also investigated. The Bioenergy Food Security Rapid Appraisal (BEFS RA) Excel-based tool was used to perform a techno-economic analysis of crop residues compatible with combustion and gasification pathways. Based on the selected crops and assumptions used in this study, it was estimated that about 35 million tonnes of gross residue potential were assessable for energy generation in Ghana. Nonetheless, about 29 million tonnes of surplus residue potential are accessible for bioenergy production. The total bioenergy potential from surplus crop residues is approximately 401 PJ/yr. Also, the cost of energy (COE) generation from the gasification and combustion plants is between US$0.29/kWh and US$0.34/kWh, which is expensive compared to the tariffs paid by residential consumers in Ghana. Notwithstanding, utilising crop residues for electricity generation might be a feasible option for rural electrification in Ghana with appropriate financial support.

Keywords

• Crop residues
• Rural electrification
• Bioenergy
• Gasification
• Combustion