Magyar

Takoradi, Tamale are completed
From now on three Faecal Sludge Management (FSM) plants, built with Hungarian technology, provide a healthier environment for millions of Ghanaians.

Monday, 31/07/2023

Kumasi, Takoradi and Tamale are significant cities in Ghana after the capital city of Accra. From an environmental and public health point of view, it was essential to urgently develop new wastewater treatment facilities in these cities, which together are home to more than 3 million people.

The Faecal Sludge Management (FSM) plants of Kumasi, Takoradi and Tamale, which each have a 1,000 m³/d capacity, were designed and constructed by EU standards and according to WHO limits on the requirements for discharging treated wastewater into surface water bodies and water channels. The projects represent significant milestones in Ghana's management of faecal sludge.

Tamale wastewater treatment plant, official inauguration

The FSM Plants were designed and built by the Hungarian Pureco-Unit Consortium for one of Ghana's most prominent private groups, the Jospong Group of Companies. Through an internationally assessed and disbursed buyer credit facility, which was granted by international standards, within the parameters and at the interest rates set by the OECD and the European Central Credit Institutions, the Jospong Group's investment was funded by the Hungarian Export Credit Agency, the EXIM Bank.

The unique solution that was applied for the treatment of the cities’ untreated wastewater, Septopure®, has been listed by the United Nations as a technology to accelerate the Sustainable Development Goals. This model of treating the faecal sludge on-site provides a quick solution where no sewerage network is available.

Takoradi wastewater treatment plant is completed

The project's positive effects on the environment and human health should be emphasised because they would lessen groundwater and surface water pollution and the prevalence of diseases caused by contaminated drinking water.

In terms of economic advantages, we can state that the solutions like Septopure® - designed for communities where there is no sewerage network - are built on tried-and-tested WASH concept and solutions that are already available, reasonably priced, and sustainable. They can also be enticing enough for the private sector.

Tamale wastewater treatment plant, official commissioning ceremony

The initial cost of a Faecal Sludge Management Plant-related solution is less than 45 € per person, and the annual service cost, which includes cost recovery for early capital, is less than 10 € per person. It serves as a replicable model.

In the FSM Plant of Kumasi, Takoradi and Tamale the technology solution comprised not only the actual developments but also expert training programmes aimed at retaining the local workforce and getting them ready to use the built-and-designed systems. Several training programmes have been developed for Ghanaian specialists to guarantee the effective functioning of the built treatment plants and, consequently, their long-term sustainability.