Francis Kemausuor

• Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology

Ghana's increasing challenges of waste management and clean cooking fuel necessitate sustainable solutions. Small-scale biogas digesters present a viable option for addressing these issues by converting organic waste into biogas for domestic energy needs and biofertilisers for agriculture. This study investigates the adoption of small-scale biogas...

Waste management in most parts of Africa is characterized by the disposal of mixed waste in unengineered landfills. The aim of this study is to assess the environmental impact of mixed waste received at a waste-to-energy plant in Ghana relative to the current model of landfilling. A Life Cycle Assessment was conducted using OpenLCA software version...

Access to electricity is a cornerstone for sustainable development and is pivotal to a country's progress. The absence of electricity impedes development and elevates poverty. The first step in sustainable energy planning is accurately estimating the people's electricity demand. However, accurately estimating or modelling electricity demand for loc...

Approximately 60 % of Beninese lack access to electricity, relying heavily on traditional energy sources, electricity imports, and low renewable energy integration. This study aims to forecast the energy demand for Benin while reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and propose alternative solutions to clean energy deployment barriers. The Low Emis...

Cities in developing countries continue to struggle with mounting waste management challenges. Within a circular economy framework, energy recovery is mostly nonexistent. Against that background, this study aimed to design and assess the viability of a hybrid waste-to-energy facility for the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA) in Ghana by 2030....

Biomass is an eco-friendly alternative sustainable renewable energy source when agricultural wastes are effectively utilized. It has become critical to assess the suitability of biofuel briquettes as an energy source for cooking, electricity, and fuel for heating. Certainly, the integration of energy sources into energy policies is warranted, consi...

Due to the world's rising population, coupled with the increasing energy demands and concerns about global warming, new alternative energy options with a low carbon footprint are being sought. Furthermore, the grave threat of global warming caused by greenhouse gases and the depletion of commercially available conventional fossil fuels restricts th...

Ghana relies heavily on fossil fuels for energy generation. This dependence on fossil fuels not only burdens the economy but also prevents the exploitation of the country’s indigenous renewable energy resources. Anaerobic digestion (AD) is one of the promising waste-to-energy technologies that has great potential for generating clean energy while s...

This study aims to develop a business case for a hybrid renewable energy plant located in Ghana which has the capacity to treat 50 tons of municipal solid waste daily through Anaerobic digestion and pyrolysis and also integrates a solar photovoltaic (PV) system. The plant is estimated to generate 810 MWh of electricity annually. The study developed...

This study evaluates flood susceptibility and risk on Bulk Supply Points in the Greater Accra region (GAR) using a Frequency Ratio model based on 15 flood conditioning factors. The model explores the influence of natural, meteorological and anthropogenic factors on flooding occurrences under the Shared Socioeconomic Pathway (SSP) scenarios and asse...

Africa accounts for only about 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions, the lowest of any continent, yet it suffers disproportionately from the impacts of climate change. Additionally, the continent faces significant energy poverty, exacerbating its vulnerability. Due to the lack of electricity and clean cooking facilities, ~600 million and ~900 mill...

In Ghana, firewood and charcoal are converted to heat energy traditionally by devices that are inefficient and unsustainable. The use of these devices have devastating consequences on the climate and human health. This study designed, produced and evaluated a multi-feed biomass gasifier stove (MFGS) which relies on multiple types of biomass such as...

Cities in developing countries continue to struggle with mounting waste management challenges. Within a circular economy framework, energy recovery is mostly nonexistent. Against that background, this study aimed to design and assess the viability of a hybrid waste-to-energy facility for the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA) in Ghana by 2030....

The use of electric cooking appliances, also referred to as eCooking devices, presents a practical and sustainable solution for achieving universal access to clean cooking facilities by 2030. A choice modelling analysis on the factors that influence the selection of an eCooker in Ghana has been conducted to facilitate market expansion for organisat...

Citation: Armoo, E.A.; Mohammed, M.; Narra, S.; Beguedou, E.; Agyenim, F.B.; Kemausuor, F. Achieving Abstract: In developing countries like Ghana, the conversion of waste into energy is gaining greater interest among policy makers and researchers. The present study investigates the feasibility of producing electricity and/or fuels from a hybrid was...

This review investigates small-scale biogas digesters’ design and construction considerations to address biogas digesters’ failures shortly after installation. The frequent failures of small-scale or household biogas digesters negatively affect its adoption as a clean domestic cooking fuel in developing countries, affecting the achievement of Susta...

Several developing nations lack access to energy to perform daily activities. Therefore, effective energy planning is essential for addressing developing nations' pressing challenges, including energy security, economic competitiveness, and climate change mitigation. This study presents a systematic literature review of various energy modeling tool...

Lack of techno-economic framework for optimal gasification and the identification of critical parameters for optimal operations is one of the major challenges restricting the gasification of crop residues. This study aims to develop an optimal techno-economic framework for the gasification of crop residues from clustered small/medium-scale farms. T...

The fusion of the circular economy and industrial symbiosis has several advantages from an economic and developmental standpoint. Cooking energy security issues in Africa can partly be solved by the utilization of waste resources in energy technology decisions such as briquette. However, one of the limitations associated with waste-based briquettes...

This is the link to freely download the article "Performance assessment and resilience of solar mini-grids for sustainable energy access in Ghana" https://authors.elsevier.com/c/1h-d31H~c~LkGW Clicking on this link before December 18, 2023 will be taken directly to the final version of your article on ScienceDirect, which you may download. No sign...

Lack of sustainable feedstock quantity and quality has been reported to be one of the major challenges confronting operations of gasifier plants in Ghana. In this paper, TOPSIS (Technique for order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution) COPRAS (Complex Proportional Assessment) and VIKOR (Multi-criteria Optimisation and Compromise Solution)...

In the age of circular economy, improving the physicochemical characteristics of waste-based briquettes will aid in the development of high-quality and reasonably priced briquettes. In the current study, composite briquettes are made by mixing decanter cake and oil palm kernel shell in different ratios. The physicochemical characteristics of the co...

A comprehensive methodological approach taken into account concerns of end users, optimal technical engineering parameters is proposed in this study to select optimal gasifier reactor type for the gasification of crop residues in Ghana. Eleven technical/economic user requirements based on the existing challenges of the gasification system in Ghana...

Gasification technology has a critical role to play in the quest to provide off and on-grid renewable energy solutions for rural agricultural communities. Optimal gasifier design is essential for sustainable energy generation and operation of gasifier systems. The aim of this study is therefore to design an optimal gasifier reactor for the gasifica...

Solar thermal technologies can help alleviate the sustainable energy access challenge in West Africa by offering complimentary solutions to reduce dependency on wood and fossil fuels. This paper provides a comprehensive regional overview of the water-based solar heating technology sector in West Africa in order to identify crucial factors that coul...

Telecommunication services have continued to evolve to meet the ever-changing bandwidth demand requirements. The electricity grid network of Ghana is faced with challenges, including low voltages, a lack of quick fault response teams, and the proximity to specific locations. Using diesel generators to address the shortfall in grid supply is expensi...

Publicly available toolkits for cost calculation in renewable energy projects were reviewed, and their main characteristics, strengths and weaknesses identified. An original Life-Cycle Cost (LCC) modelling toolkit was developed to address some of the identified shortcomings, and to facilitate the calculation of costs of electrical and thermal energ...

Aligning development and climate goals means Africa’s energy systems will be based on clean energy technologies in the long term, but pathways to get there are uncertain and variable across countries. Although current debates about natural gas and renewables in Africa are heated, they largely ignore the substantial context specificity of the starti...

Biogas technology has matured over the years and is gaining acceptance; however, challenges with optimum operation and maintenance of digesters are a massive hurdle for developing countries that threaten the successful adoption of the technology. The failures of biogas digesters leading to the low diffusion of the technology in developing countries...

This paper adopted an integrated scenario modelling approach using HOMER and financial cost-benefit analysis to investigate design accuracy, power supply challenges and financial viability of two existing mini-grids in Ghana. It also examined the economic competitiveness of grid extension relative to the mini-grid plants, and offered learnings for...

The potential of methane yield depends on the composition of feedstock which is characterized by a diversity of biodegradable fractions. This study aims at constructing and using the novel kinetic model as a tool to predict methane-to-carbon dioxide ratio from slaughterhouse solid waste using hydraulic retention time and temperature as parameters....

In this study, decision-making approaches have been utilised to identify the best hybrid renewable energy system suitable for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) operating in Ghana. The study considered seven different hybrid energy systems, including, PV/battery (Option A), diesel/battery (Option B), PV/diesel (Option C), PV/battery/diesel (...

Submitting nationally determined contributions (NDCs) as part of fulfilling the Paris Agreement and formally adopting climate change mitigation policies do not necessarily translate to implementation on the ground. Here, we analyse 31 semi-structured interviews with climate policy government officials and consultants from 11 low-income and lower-mi...

Ficus benjamina (FB) is a perennial plant that serves ornamental purposes. Its fruits are nonedible and considered ‘waste’ with no defined application. This paper discusses the valorisation and identification of the potential of Ficus benjamina fruits as a suitable biofuel feedstock. The whole fruit was characterised by scanning electron microscopy...

The bioenergy sector in Nigeria currently lacks a proper assessment of resource availability. In this study, we investigated the bioenergy potential of agricultural residues and municipal solid and liquid waste using data from 2008 to 2018, and we applied a computational and analytical approach with mild assumptions. The technical potential for the...

Slaughterhouse activities generate large volumes of biodegradable organic wastes such as animal faeces, blood, fat, animal trimmings, paunch contents and urine. These wastes are mainly responsible for air, soil, and water pollution if untreated or poorly managed. In many developing countries, the common method adopted by most slaughterhouses in the...

Rice husk is an important component often ignored in the rice production chain. Despite its considerable ethanol recovery potential, commercialization is still lacking due to high pretreatment costs and waste generation. This study therefore explored the potential of maximising bioenergy recovery from rice husk using the integrated biorefinery appr...

Improved biomass cookstoves have become significantly important as a major technological intervention to aid in the efficient use of biomass fuels. However, the transfer of such technologies to end users do not match the quantity of designs churned out to the market. This study therefore develops a new framework that simultaneously integrates techn...

Energy supply for clean cooking is a priority for Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG, i.e., propane or butane or a mixture of both) is an economically efficient, cooking energy solution used by over 2.5 billion people worldwide and scaled up in numerous low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Investigation of the technical, po...

Anaerobic digestion (AD) can bring benefits in terms of effective management of organic waste, recovery of nutrients and energy recovery, and is consistent with circular economy principles. AD has been promoted and implemented worldwide, but at widely differing scales, influenced by the availability and location of feedstocks. In developing countri...

Cocoa pod husk (CPH) has been investigated as a biofuel for use in a gasifier-electricity generator for cocoa farming communities in rural Ghana. CPH has embodied energy of approximately 17MJ/kg and so is a valuable energy source for bioenergy systems. A small-scale 5kWe CPH fueled gasifier-generator has been installed and its performance evaluated...

This research determines the effects of temperature, residence time and mixing ratio on hydrochar yield and energy content from the co- hydrothermal carbonization (co-HTC) of pineapple and watermelon peels. The research assessed optimum conditions for higher hydrochar yields and energy content as well as the synergistic effects of pineapple and wat...

Bioenergy production from biomass is a multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) problem involving multidimensional criteria due to the vast range of resources available for consideration. In this paper, we propose a hybrid fuzzy technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (FTOPSIS) and analytical hierarchy process (AHP) that is able...

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 t...

There is growing acceptance that renewable energy mini-grids will play an integral role in the attainment of universal access to electricity as they are now considered to be least cost option for the electrification of locations far from the national grid. Yet, the pace of mini-grids deployment is tapered by multiple obstacles. The paper examined t...

Advancement in energy policies has stimulated the adoption of instruments used in the renewable energy sector and climate change mitigation. Renewable energy policies play a crucial role in the abatement of greenhouse gas emissions, by providing access to modern energy and energy security by diversifying energy supply. There have been numerous poli...

The global campaign to minimise greenhouse gas emissions and reduce fossil fuel dependency has led to the consideration of crop residue as feedstock for various bioenergy technologies. In this study, the extent to which various crop residues in the ten administrative regions of Ghana can contribute to the specific heat and electricity demands of ea...

Gasification technology has been proven to be an effective conversion technology for biomass resources. Despite the existence of gasifier stoves, its utilisation and adaptation has not been extensive in Ghana mainly due to its high cost and inefficiencies. The paper presents design, fabrication and performance analysis of an inverted downdraft gasi...

Since the first use of anaerobic digestion technology to generate biogas in 1895 to power street lights in Britain and also as a Municipal Solid Waste Management technique in the US in 1939, significant advances have been developed to optimise the process in a sustainable manner. In practice, optimising anaerobic digesters to increase biogas produc...

Processing Maize to improve its quality does not only prolong its useful life but also increases the net profit farmers make and the goodwill derived from consumers. In this study, the emphasis was placed on field evaluation of a locally manufactured motorized maize thresher in Sunyani West Municipality of Ghana. The main objective of the project i...

The use of biomass in biofuel production is known to harness only a fraction of the entire biomass leading to the generation of large quantities of waste. This underutilisation of biomass has become a major challenge in the development of biofuels, such as bioethanol, as an economical and eco-friendly alternative to fossil fuels. In this study, the...

Hydrolysis in bioethanol production is one of the most limiting stages in the entire production process since it is the stage where the sugars to be converted to ethanol are obtained. Ulva fasciata, Hydropuntia dentata and Sargassum vulgare seaweeds were examined in this study to determine the most efficient pretreatment, optimal hydrolysis conditi...

Biomass energy as an alternative source of energy promises to be a more sustainable replacement of depleting fossil energy supplies and exhibits the potential for energy independence in emerging economies because biomass resources used for producing biomass energy, especially lignocellulosic wastes are much easily obtained and processed for energy....

In this study, experimental analyses of a Ferrocement Downdraft Gasifier (FDG) coupled to a 20 kW engine was conducted using different feedstocks. Feedstocks used were Anogeissus Leiocarpus (Kane charcoal), Bambusoideae (bamboo charcoal), Tectona grandis (teak charcoal) and wood pellets. The effects of several parameters including operating moistur...

Purpose of Review This article reviews energy planning tools and the extent to which these tools have been utilised to deploy on-grid (especially mini-grids) and off-grid renewable energy (RE) technologies on the African continent. The paper seeks to answer the following questions: what are the planning tools used for renewable energy deployment in...

The rapid depletion and environmental concerns associated with the use of fossil fuels has led to extensive development of biofuels such as bioethanol from seaweeds. The long-term prospect of seaweed bioethanol production however, depends on the selection of processes in the hydrolysis and fermentation stages due to their limiting effect on ethanol...

Many African countries have vast biomass resources that could serve as feedstock for methane production through the adoption of commercial biogas plants. However, due to many inhibiting factors, these resources are under-utilised. This article reviews commercial biogas systems that treat organic waste from municipalities, large livestock farms, lar...

Efficient cook stove design is a very vital aspect of effective processing operations. However the chimney configuration of a cook stove affects its overall performance. As such the current study seeks to evaluate the effect of two chimney configurations on the performance of a cook stove that was designed. The Autodesk CFD software was used to eva...

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are emphatic on the role of energy for development, with a target to ensure universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services to about 1.3 billion people without electricity access, and to increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix. For remote rural commun...

The method of heat provision for artisanal palm oil production in Ghana is riddled with inefficient systems which create unfavourable working conditions (use of spent tyres, smoke filled work tents etc.) for the women who engage in this process. This creates health hazards for the women and sometimes the children they carry along to work. This stud...

The method of heat provision for artisanal palm oil production is riddled with inefficient systems which create unfavourable working conditions (use of spent tyres, smoke filled work tents etc.) for the women who engage in this process. This creates health hazards for the women and sometimes the children they carry along to work. This study therefo...

Biomass, in the form of firewood and charcoal, continue to dominate energy supply sources in Ghana. Global energy demand projections, and indeed projections in Ghana, have shown that biomass will continue to serve as a principal energy source to many developing countries for the foreseeable future. While several woody crop species may hold potentia...

In farming communities in Ghana and the West African region, crop residues are often unused and remain available for valorisation. This study has analysed the prospects of electricity generation using crop residues from smallholder farms within defined clusters. Data was collected from 14 administrative districts in Ghana, where surveys were conduc...

Techno-economic models for optimised utilisation of jatropha oil under an out-grower farming scheme were developed based on different considerations for oil and by-product utilisation. Model 1: Out-grower scheme where oil is exported and press cake utilised for compost. Model 2: Out-grower scheme with six scenarios considered for the utilisation of...

In 1989, the government of Ghana set in motion an electrification plan that aims to provide universal access to electricity within a 30‐year period, from 1990 to 2020. About 25 years down the line, Ghana seems to be inching closer toward universal electrification. However, a number of challenges remain. As is the case in many other countries, urban...

Many remote rural communities are ignored in rural electrification plans due to their remoteness or their relatively low demand potential. Many of those communities are rural agricultural villages that cultivate crops whose residue is a potential solid biomass fuel for power generation using appropriate technologies. This research proposes a feasib...

As Ghana's economy grows, the choice of future energy paths and policies in the coming years will have a significant influence on its energy security. A Renewable Energy Act approved in 2011 seeks to encourage the influx of renewable energy sources in Ghana's energy mix. The new legal framework combined with increasing demand for energy has created...

A major challenge to commercial production of cellulosic ethanol pertains to the cost-effective breakdown of the complex and recalcitrant structure of lignocellulose into its components via pretreatment, the cost of enzymes for hydrolysis and fermentation, and the conversion rate of C5 sugars to ethanol, among others. While the industrialized and s...