The University of Mines and Technology (UMaT) in a move to commercialise its research into coconut shell value-chain, will in the next six months begin local production of activated carbon for use by the gold mining industry.
Vice Chancellor of UMaT, Professor Richard Kwasi Amankwah, who said this explained that Ghana imports about $9 million worth of activated carbon annually, mainly for mining, and that the university is hope to reduce such imports with local production through a joint venture agreement with Zaacoal Ltd, a Ghanaian charcoal production company.
Speaking during a mini congregation at the university which saw the award of 27 postgraduate degrees with 20 masters degrees and 7 PhD honours, the Vice Chancellor said the University feels obligated to begin to commercialise its research after 70 years of existence as a mining university to address societal problems.
“The university is taking some bold steps to commercialise its research. UMaT signed a joint venture agreement with Zaacoal Ltd, a charcoal production company in Accra, to expand the coconut shell value chain by producing activated carbon for use by the gold mining industry. The activated carbon import budget is estimated at US$9.0 million per annum and this venture will contribute immensely to national value addition“, he said.
While commending the graduates, Prof. Amankwa said the university is clinching closer to its target of gender mainstreaming, as five out of the seven PhD honours were women.
He said the university has become more attractive, hence inviting the private sector to embrace its proposal to invest in housing for the income student population.
“There is high interest in the programmes run by UMaT and thus an increased student population in UMaT. This has resulted in an urgent need to make more accommodation available to students. The university has thus introduced another aspect of Private-Public-Partnership referred to as Build-Own-Operate-Maintain (BOOM) as the new paradigm for development of hostels in UMaT. This concept presents more advantages to investors, and we are entreating estate developers and other interested investors to come to ‘Macedonia’ and help provide spaces for students’ accommodation”, he noted.
Kwesi Enyan, the Executive Director of Operations of Rocksure International, a Bauxite Mining group, who was the guest speaker at the UMaT mini-congregation while praising UMaT recounted UMaT’s contribution to the mining industry after 70years.
“UMaT’s invention of the Sika Mokyia method to remove direct contact to mercury for small scale mining is commendable. They have even done a new method in which you don’t have to use mercury in gold processing at all. This is laudable because there is now the contamination in our rivers which is dangerous to the people and the artisanal mining operators themselves who come into contact with mercury. The others which are also commendable are the programmes UMaT has introduced here to ensure responsible and sustainable mining and to the extent that they have radio educational programmes which on period basis is educating people on how to mine responsibly. The training UMaT is giving to its products is fantastic, as I have had the opportunity of working with some. They are also doing so well with research in areas relevant to the sector like the activated carbon breakthrough”, said.
On behalf of Rocksure, he donated three computers to support the 70th Anniversary of UMaT as well as a GH¢4,000 award prize to the best graduating mining student for the next five years.
Three distinguished personalities of UMaT, including the Foundation Vice Chancellor of UMaT, Prof Daniel Mireku-Gyimah, the Foundation Pro Vice Chancellor, Prof Newton Atta Amegbey and the Foundation Registrar, Emmanuel Kweku Bedai were honoured with the renaming of some key buildings in the university after them as well as a statue for Prof. Daniel Mireku-Gyimah.