CSOsDebriefingMeetingAnti-CoalCampaign

Ghana– ReducingourCarbon(G-ROC)PresentationonTuesday,19th July2016.

Chibeze Ezekiel,G-ROCCoordinator

AboutqAninformalnetwork ofyouth-basedgrassrootsorganisations (andindividuals)…activelychampiontheneedtoreduceourcarbonemissionsandpromoterenewableenergysystemsasakeyeffortincombatingclimatechange.

qItwascreatedinJuly2013,aftersevenyoungleadersfromGhanaweretrained

WhatisCoal:Itisacombustibleblackorbrownish-blacksedimentaryrock.Itisprimarilyusedasasolidfueltoproduceelectricityandheat

throughcombustionforindustrialpurposes

TypesofCoal-firedPlants

• SubcriticalCoalPlant• Supercritical(SC)CoalPlant• Ultra-Supercritical(USC)CoalPlant• AdvancedUltra-Supercritical(A-USC)CoalPlant

• IntegratedGasificationCombinedCycle(IGCC)CoalPlants

Conversionefficiency,CO2emissionsintensityandcoalconsumptionvaluesforcoaltechnologies12

Technology Conversionefficiency3

CO2emissionsintensity(gCO2/kWh)

Coalconsumption(g/kWh)

Subcritical Upto38% ≥880 ≥380

Supercritical Upto42% 800–880 340–380

Ultra-Supercritical Upto45% 740–800 320–340

A-USC/IntegratedGasificationCombinedCycle(IGCC)

45–50% 670–740 290–320

CommunityEngagementFeedbackKeyfindings:• ChiefandEldersofEkumfiAboano,OpinionLeadersofthe

fishermengroup,thefarmersgroup,thewomen’sgroupandtheyouthwerenotadequately consultedastheScopingreportclaims

• Theyouthareinhighanticipationofthejobspromisedbuthavenoideaofthekindortypeofjobstobeoffered.

• Thepeoplehadconcernswhichwerenotsufficientlyaddressedduringthepublicforumorganised byVRAandEPA.Amajorconcernwastheeffectonthemsincetheyharvestanddependonrainwater

DonpeheneEkumfiEtibedu,ChiefNanaKojiMensaIIFromtheengagementwehadwiththeVRA,theorganisationmadeitclearthattheprojectwillnotdisturb thecommunities inanyway.Weunderstood thattheoldendaycoaltechnologyallowedemissionstobeemittedfarandnear,whichcausesharmtopeopleandenvironment.Thetechnology forthisoneallowsfortheemission tobekeptunderneath.Themachinestobeusediscapabletominimizing thenegativeeffectsofcoal.Peoplehavebeencriticizingcoalbutthemachinewillhelp toreduceemission intotheatmosphere.Rainharvesting isdonebypeoplewhocannotaffordpipebornewater,buthavinggoneontoursorganizedbytheVRA,wehavebeentoldthatthemachinescanhelptoaddressanydamagetowaterharvestedthrough therain.Weembracedit,theprojectwillcometohelpthepoorgetjobstodoandthemachineswillnotbringanydiseasestopeople.

Iamnotsuretheprojectwillcontaminatetheatmosphere.

DennisAidoo– EkrumfiAboanoSpiritualleader

“Thechiefhasrefusedtositdownwithus(elders)andeventheentirecommunitytodeliberateonthebenefitsandsetbacksoftheproject.Healwayssaystheprojectisyettobeginsoweshouldexercisepatience.Wearehappy350G-ROCisheretosensitizeoreducatethecommunitymoreonthecoalproject.

VRAhasalreadyheldmeetingswithusontheproject.Wetoldthemthatwedonothaveanyexpertiseontheproject,forinstanceemissionsandthepossibilityofcontaminatingrainwaterandhealthimplicationsforthepeople.WeweretoldbytheVRAthattheyhavesometechnologythatcanaddressthat,butoncetheyhavenotstartedworkwehavenotseenit.

Nocompensationhasbeendiscussedyet”.

Assemblymember(DavidDawson)- KotenkureElectoralArea“EvenEuropeisshuttingdownandcancellingcoalpowerplantsprojectsbutoncethegovernmentisbringingaprojectandyoukickagainstitpeopledonotunderstand.Thisisbecause,theyhavedifferentmindsetofbringingtheproject;theythinkaboutthepositivebutdonotthinkaboutthenegativeside.SoIdonothaveanyoption, sinceitisgoingtocreatejobsforpeople inthecommunities,wewelcomeit.Fornowwearenotthinkingaboutthenegativeaspectofit,weareonlythinkingofjobcreationforthepeople,buttheproblemsassociatedwiththeproject,wearenotthinkingabout it.Onceyoubegintovoiceoutthenegatives,peopleperceiveyouasnotsupportingtheproject.EvenifIspeaktheproposalhasbeenmadetoconstructtheproject.Fornowpeoplewillnotseetheimpactuntiltheprojecthastakenoff,peopleinthecommunityarenotwillingtovoiceouttheenvironmentaleffects,onceyoudoitpeopletagyouaspoliticallysabotagingthem.Itisratherunfortunatethatthegovernmentofficialsdonotstayaroundtoexperiencethe impact,onlythelocalswillexperience.IfEPAreallythinksaboutthepeople intheprojectareas,theycanpreventtheprojectfromtakingplace.Theycanadvisegovernmenttochangetorenewableenergy.TherearepeoplewithinEPAwhoscientificallyareawareofthenegativeimpactofcoalandperhapsfeelreluctanttoinformthegovernment.Thegovernmentfeelsitiscreatingjobsforthepeople,buttheimpactwillbefeltbythe locals.”

Criticalissuesforconsideration1.Typeofcoaltobeimported- Peat,Lignite,BlackcoalandAnthracite2.Characteristicsoftheflyash3.ContactdetailsoftheNGOsandallthelocalstakeholdersengaged4.Nonon-coal/fossilfuelbasedprojectalternativesspecifiedinthescopingreport5.EffectorimpactonBiodiversity6.Specifickindofjobopportunitiestobecreatedoroffered

Continue7.ThecaseofyouthdemonstratingagainstAsogliPowerplantduetomarginalisationandnoisepollution8.WhyisGhanagoingforCoalwheneventherichanddevelopedcountrieslikeUSAandChinaareshuttingdowntheircoalplants?9.Evenifcoalistobeconsidered,whynotgofortheMOSTEFFICIENT coalplanttechnology?10.Ghana’scommitmenttotheParisClimateAgreementwhichenjoinshertoreduceemissionlevels.

Alternatives?Clean/RenewableSourceofEnergy

THANKYOU!!!