- In Togo, the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Local Consumption has announced a new measure to regulate the export of biomass waste.
- Sending of these wastes to other countries will have to be preceded by a written authorization.
In Togo, the export of biomass waste will now be governed. A new measure was presented by the Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Local Consumption. According to the interministerial directive N° 011/MCICL/MEF/MERF/MDEM of March 15, 2023, the Togolese Ministry in Charge of Trade must henceforth grant prior authorization for the export of biomass waste.
This includes garbage from the food industry (fruit and vegetable remnants, kitchen and fish waste), waste from agricultural plants (bark, nut shells, cotton, straw, stalks), and waste from the wood processing industries (chips, branches, leaves, sawdust). The Togolese Ministry of Trade stated in their statement that “Any violator of this measure will be subject to the penalties provided for in the texts in force.”
The Togo government wants to control the unchecked transfer of what it now views as wealth, so it has regulated the export of biomass waste. The Regional Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (RCREEE) estimates that this West African nation has a biomass potential of 2.2 million tons annually.
To increase the production of power, the Togolese government is relying on this resource. By 2030, it hopes to have 100% of the population have access to power, with 50% of the energy coming from renewable sources. The Togo Renewable Energy Development Program (PDERT) was introduced in July 2020 with this in mind.
The Togolese government’s strategy will also be aided by the waste-to-energy biogas facility that is currently under construction in Kloto, in the Plateaux region. The project, which will reduce emissions by 260,000 tons of CO2 by 2030, will be carried out by the Canadian business Biothermica Technologies. The project is anticipated to offer a long-term solution to Kloto’s waste pollution issue.