Compost, biogas and biochar in Northern Ghana: Climate impact and economic feasibility in the context of voluntary carbon markets

Compost, biogas and biochar in Northern Ghana: Climate impact and economic feasibility in the context of voluntary carbon markets

Galgani, P.

Van der Voet, E. (mentor)
Korevaar, G. (mentor)

Delft University of Technology

Department of Technology, Dynamics and Sustainable Development

Industrial Ecology

2012-03-07

The Master’s programme Industrial Ecology is jointly organised by Leiden University and Delft University of Technology. In some areas of Sub-Saharan Africa appropriate organic waste management technology could address development issues such as soil degradation, unemployment and energy scarcity, while at the same time providing climate benefits. The role that carbon markets could have in facilitating the implementation of composting, anaerobic digestion and biochar production, in urban and peri-urban regions in dry tropical climate was investigated, with a case study on Tamale in the North of Ghana. A life cycle assessment of realistic implementation scenarios for low-tech, small scale variants of these three technologies was performed, in order to assess the potential contribution they could give to climate change mitigation. Furthermore an economic feasibility study was carried out to assess the influence of access to carbon markets and changes in the carbon price on the viability of these technologies. It was found that substantial climate benefits can be achieved by avoiding landfilling of biowaste, producing electricity and substituting the use of conventional fertiliser. Biochar production could result in a net carbon sequestration. These technologies were however found not to be economically viable without external subsidies, and access to carbon markets at the considered carbon price of 7 EUR/t of carbon would not change the situation significantly. Carbon markets could help the realisation of the considered composting and anaerobic digestion systems only if carbon price will rise above 48-77 EUR/t of carbon (respectively for anaerobic digestion and composting). Biochar production could achieve large climate benefits and, if it would be approved as a land based climate mitigation mechanism on carbon markets, it would become economically viable at a lower carbon price of 30 EUR/t of carbon.

Composting
Anaerobic digestion
Biogas
Biochar
Carbon
LCA
Life Cycle Assessment
Ghana
Sub Saharan Africa

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:392d3891-5f31-45b1-b427-6cf5835f65ca

Student theses

master thesis

(c) 2012 Galgani, P.