IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jeners/v17y2024i3p735-d1332895.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Achieving Techno-Economic Feasibility for Hybrid Renewable Energy Systems through the Production of Energy and Alternative Fuels

Author

Listed:
  • Ekua Afrakoma Armoo

    (Department of Waste and Resource Management, University of Rostock, 18059 Rostock, Germany
    Council for Scientific and Industrial Research—Institute of Industrial Research, Accra P.O. Box LG 576, Ghana)

  • Mutala Mohammed

    (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research—Institute of Industrial Research, Accra P.O. Box LG 576, Ghana)

  • Satyanarayana Narra

    (Department of Waste and Resource Management, University of Rostock, 18059 Rostock, Germany)

  • Essossinam Beguedou

    (Department of Waste and Resource Management, University of Rostock, 18059 Rostock, Germany)

  • Francis Boateng Agyenim

    (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research—Institute of Industrial Research, Accra P.O. Box LG 576, Ghana)

  • Francis Kemausuor

    (Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), PMB, Kumasi AK-039-5028, Ghana)

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 waste-to-energy pilot plant located in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. The plant integrates three technologies: anaerobic digestion, pyrolysis and solar PV. The plant has the potential to produce both energy and fuels such as green hydrogen, refuse derived fuels, bio-compressed natural gas and compost. Thus, this study compares the financial feasibility of three scenarios—generating electricity and fuels, generating electricity alone and generating fuels alone—by modelling their energy output and financial performance using RETSCREEN expert 6.0.7.55 and Microsoft Excel 2019 softwares. The results indicate that the multiple products of electricity and fuels provide higher investment interest with a Net Present Value in excess of EUR 13 million and a payback period of 12 years compared to the electricity-only model. Also, converting electricity into fuels alone also provides substantial benefits which can be explored. However, the Levelized Cost of Energy, ranging from 0.3 to 0.68 EUR/kWh, is far above the average residential End User tariff. Overall, this study provides an important methodology for assessing the potential products of future projects.

Suggested Citation

  • Ekua Afrakoma Armoo & Mutala Mohammed & Satyanarayana Narra & Essossinam Beguedou & Francis Boateng Agyenim & Francis Kemausuor, 2024. "Achieving Techno-Economic Feasibility for Hybrid Renewable Energy Systems through the Production of Energy and Alternative Fuels," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(3), pages 1-21, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:17:y:2024:i:3:p:735-:d:1332895
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/17/3/735/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/17/3/735/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Bassey, Uduak & Sarquah, Khadija & Hartmann, Michael & Tom, Abasi-ofon & Beck, Gesa & Antwi, Edward & Narra, Satyanarayana & Nelles, Michael, 2023. "Thermal treatment options for single-use, multilayered and composite waste plastics in Africa," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 270(C).
    2. Murphy, J. D. & McKeogh, E. & Kiely, G., 2004. "Technical/economic/environmental analysis of biogas utilisation," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 77(4), pages 407-427, April.
    3. Esfilar, Reza & Bagheri, Mehdi & Golestani, Behrooz, 2021. "Technoeconomic feasibility review of hybrid waste to energy system in the campus: A case study for the University of Victoria," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 146(C).
    4. Essossinam Beguedou & Satyanarayana Narra & Ekua Afrakoma Armoo & Komi Agboka & Mani Kongnine Damgou, 2023. "Alternative Fuels Substitution in Cement Industries for Improved Energy Efficiency and Sustainability," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(8), pages 1-29, April.
    5. Jann Michael Weinand & Maximilian Hoffmann & Jan Gopfert & Tom Terlouw & Julian Schonau & Patrick Kuckertz & Russell McKenna & Leander Kotzur & Jochen Lin{ss}en & Detlef Stolten, 2022. "Global LCOEs of decentralized off-grid renewable energy systems," Papers 2212.12742, arXiv.org, revised Mar 2023.
    6. Navarro Ferronato & Vincenzo Torretta, 2019. "Waste Mismanagement in Developing Countries: A Review of Global Issues," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(6), pages 1-28, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Morin, Philippe & Marcos, Bernard & Moresoli, Christine & Laflamme, Claude B., 2010. "Economic and environmental assessment on the energetic valorization of organic material for a municipality in Quebec, Canada," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 87(1), pages 275-283, January.
    2. Konečná, Eva & Teng, Sin Yong & Máša, Vítězslav, 2020. "New insights into the potential of the gas microturbine in microgrids and industrial applications," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    3. Li, Yangyang & Jin, Yiying & Li, Hailong & Borrion, Aiduan & Yu, Zhixin & Li, Jinhui, 2018. "Kinetic studies on organic degradation and its impacts on improving methane production during anaerobic digestion of food waste," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 213(C), pages 136-147.
    4. Leslier Valenzuela-Fernández & Manuel Escobar-Farfán, 2022. "Zero-Waste Management and Sustainable Consumption: A Comprehensive Bibliometric Mapping Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-24, December.
    5. Lauer, Markus & Hansen, Jason K. & Lamers, Patrick & Thrän, Daniela, 2018. "Making money from waste: The economic viability of producing biogas and biomethane in the Idaho dairy industry," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 222(C), pages 621-636.
    6. Hao, Xiaoli & Yang, Hongxing & Zhang, Guoqiang, 2008. "Trigeneration: A new way for landfill gas utilization and its feasibility in Hong Kong," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(10), pages 3662-3673, October.
    7. Asif Iqbal & Abdullah Yasar & Abdul-Sattar Nizami & Rafia Haider & Faiza Sharif & Imran Ali Sultan & Amtul Bari Tabinda & Aman Anwer Kedwaii & Muhammad Murtaza Chaudhary, 2022. "Municipal Solid Waste Collection and Haulage Modeling Design for Lahore, Pakistan: Transition toward Sustainability and Circular Economy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-39, December.
    8. Giovanni Vinti & Valerie Bauza & Thomas Clasen & Kate Medlicott & Terry Tudor & Christian Zurbrügg & Mentore Vaccari, 2021. "Municipal Solid Waste Management and Adverse Health Outcomes: A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(8), pages 1-26, April.
    9. Kumar, Aman & Singh, Ekta & Mishra, Rahul & Lo, Shang Lien & Kumar, Sunil, 2023. "Global trends in municipal solid waste treatment technologies through the lens of sustainable energy development opportunity," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 275(C).
    10. Rubí Medina-Mijangos & Luis Seguí-Amórtegui, 2020. "Research Trends in the Economic Analysis of Municipal Solid Waste Management Systems: A Bibliometric Analysis from 1980 to 2019," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(20), pages 1-20, October.
    11. Murphy, J.D. & Power, N., 2009. "Technical and economic analysis of biogas production in Ireland utilising three different crop rotations," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 86(1), pages 25-36, January.
    12. Benedek, József & Sebestyén, Tihamér-Tibor & Bartók, Blanka, 2018. "Evaluation of renewable energy sources in peripheral areas and renewable energy-based rural development," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 90(C), pages 516-535.
    13. Jatau Ramond Yohanna, 2023. "Effluent Pollution in Custodial Centres and its Environs in Nigeria," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 7(2), pages 1341-1352, February.
    14. Browne, James & Nizami, Abdul-Sattar & Thamsiriroj, T & Murphy, Jerry D., 2011. "Assessing the cost of biofuel production with increasing penetration of the transport fuel market: A case study of gaseous biomethane in Ireland," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 15(9), pages 4537-4547.
    15. Gilbert Moyen Massa & Vasiliki-Maria Archodoulaki, 2024. "An Imported Environmental Crisis: Plastic Mismanagement in Africa," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(2), pages 1-18, January.
    16. Victor Fredrick & Vandu Umaru Lazarus & Ishaku Yahaya & Ibrahim Hyedma Bwala & Ajanson, Samuel Sule & Buhari Isa Uba, 2023. "Impact of Public Solid Waste Disposal Dump Sites: A Threat to Residence of Yelwa Tsakani, Bauchi," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 7(2), pages 507-522, February.
    17. Carla Silva & Patricia Moniz & Ana Cristina Oliveira & Samuela Vercelli & Alberto Reis & Teresa Lopes da Silva, 2022. "Cascading Crypthecodinium cohnii Biorefinery: Global Warming Potential and Techno-Economic Assessment," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-26, May.
    18. Daniela Szymańska & Aleksandra Lewandowska, 2015. "Biogas Power Plants in Poland—Structure, Capacity, and Spatial Distribution," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(12), pages 1-19, December.
    19. Gómez, Antonio & Zubizarreta, Javier & Rodrigues, Marcos & Dopazo, César & Fueyo, Norberto, 2010. "Potential and cost of electricity generation from human and animal waste in Spain," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 35(2), pages 498-505.
    20. Vladimír Frišták & Diana Bošanská & Vladimír Turčan & Martin Pipíška & Christoph Pfeifer & Gerhard Soja, 2022. "Relevance of Pyrolysis Products Derived from Sewage Sludge for Soil Applications," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-14, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:17:y:2024:i:3:p:735-:d:1332895. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.