Decentralised biopower and Renewable Energy Access-Policy Imperative and Multi-stakeholder Criteria

Abstract

Biomass is a diverse resource as its components are varied and provide the opportunity for its application in diverse facets of both urban and rural living. It is also one of the renewable energy sources for which the term bio-refinery has been coined due to the share potential of by-products from its conversion. In this guise and for the purpose of achieving the research objectives, Biopower-being electricity generated from Municipal Solid Waste (MSW), is the focus of this research. There are several technologies already in use for generating power using MSW as feedstock and these varying methods have been assessed within the literature comparatively, to determine among others, ease of adoption and adaptability to context, within valid cost considerations and financial constraints, their respective abilities to produce consistent net-energy yields, operate efficiently and related Green House Gas (GHG) emissions, which should be considerably low or non-existent, where feasible. The imperative of this work is further strengthened by relevant stakeholders calling for emphasis in the strategy for the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7-Clean Energy). This particular SDG is deemed pivotal in the achievement of SDGs related to healthcare, education, innovation and gender considerations among others. The SDGs with emphasis on SDG 7 (clean energy) remain at the core of the research activity and propels the investigation into the economics and plausibility of given waste-to-energy (WTE) interventions and application to the sub-Sharan African and in some cases the Nigerian context; given barriers such as regulation, pricing, financing initiatives and eventual challenges in determining the appropriate scale and dissemination of the solution. This research effort seeks to provide a road-map to effectively and efficiently utilise the waste generated by municipalities to simultaneously contribute to solving environmental and energy access challenges currently being experienced in sub-Saharan Africa; with hopes for future dissemination of the assessed frameworks developed in this work, through stakeholder engagement, policy reviews and implementation, for development across the region