Business Case for Hybrid Waste to Energy System for Ghana

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 a techno-economic model for assessing the viability using RETSCREEN software. The plant shows a positive net present value (NPV) and an internal rate of return (IRR) of 20.1%, despite a levelized cost of energy (LCOE) of €0.331/kWh, which exceeds the average End User Tariff (EUT) of €0.887/kWh. Sensitivity analysis identifies key variables, including electricity exported to the grid and debt financing parameters. Scenario 2 introduces grant-based financing and reduced capital expenditure (CAPEX) by eliminating the segregation system, reducing the LCOE to €0.145/kWh, but still above current tariffs at the same capacity. A business case for this waste-to-energy plant under the current worse case economic conditions of the country will rely mainly on a large plant with a minimum capacity of 1.6 GWh/yr. With decreasing global costs of solar PV, the technical plant design should have at least 50% solar PV capacity.