This is done by reprocessing plastic waste into high-value fuels and chemicals for house­holds or small running engines.

Professor David Dodoo-Ar­hin, the Director of the Institute, told the Ghana News Agency on the sidelines of a five-day workshop, organised in collaboration with the 20th anniversary team of the School of Engineering Sciences and the 75th anniversary of the University of Ghana.

It was funded by the French Embassy and on the theme: “Strengthening research and innovation capacities in sustain­able energy production”.

He said the reactor yields three litres of fuel when fed with three kilogrammes of waste plastic depending on the conditions the waste was subjected to.

“The fuel is up to standard and is usable. We have been cooking with gas and our cars are running the petrol and diesel,” Prof. Do­doo-Arhin said.

The model, he said, included all the people in the value chain, especially the collectors, and could be a good avenue for job creation for many people.

Prof. Doodo-Arhin said the project was under the plas­tics-to-fuel initiative, which started in 2018 with initial funding from the University of Ghana BANGA Africa seed grant programme.

He said it was followed by a two-year funding in 2021, through the University of Ghana Re­search Fund “multidisciplinary category” and in 2022, another two-year co-funding by the French Embassy’s FSPI NYANSAPO programme.

Prof. Doodo-Arhin said the ini­tiative was in line with the Ghana National Plastic Action Partner­ship, to support the public and private sector transition to a plastic circular economy thereby, ensuring sustainable plastic management.

Prof. Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, in a statement delivered on her behalf, said the plastic waste menace continued to pose challenges to the environmental and socio-eco­nomic well-being of the country.

She said there was a need for sus­tainable waste management systems to help stem the debilitating conse­quences of plastic waste nationwide.

Mr Jules Armand Aniambossou, the French Ambassador to Ghana, said ensuring access to higher educa­tion and research were priorities of his country and reiterated the coun­try’s commitment to the project.

He said it was the aim of the French Government to increase the collaboration between the education­al institutions of the two countries, through new partnerships, exchang­es, joint curricula, double diplomas, joint research programmes, and joint research facilities.

“All these activities and pro­grammes should focus on the priori­ties of our partner countries and aim at contributing to their development through the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals,” he said.