Abstract
Globally, the race is on to transition from crude energy sources to clean, renewable and sustainable sources. With the imminent dangers of climate change many countries have found innovative ways to convert waste to energy to reduce emissions, which is in line with the Paris Accord of which Ghana is a signatory. Ghana is still heavily reliant on fossil fuel sources for energy generation. The purpose of this study was to assess the financial viability of a 30MW biomass plant to be situated in Ejura Sekyedumase district for 25 years using a financial modelling tool (FINPLANTM). Three scenarios, ie. varying plant generation capacity, levelized cost of energy and fuel cost were simulated using the tool to observe their effects on Net Present Value (NPV), Internal Rate of Return (IRR) and shareholder Dividends. The results showed that for the proposed 30 MW power plant to be financially viable, the minimum generation capacity allowed is 50%. ie 100GWh/year, the energy produced should be sold at $0.085 to make maximum gains. It estimates that fuel cost for running operations should not exceed $4M for good returns. For the sustainability of the project, the government must enforce its environmental pollution laws to ensure there is a constant supply of fuel for the plant.
