ACTUATE

Lancaster University

www.actuate.global

About The Actuate Project

Accelerating the adoption of circular sanitation demonstration systems for improved health outcomes (ACTUATE) is an ongoing 800,000 Pounds UK Government Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) project led by Lancaster University with the following aims:

• Supplying clean, secure and sustainable supplies of water, food and energy, whilst managing waste and optimizing circular economies, is still an aspiration rather than a policy-in-operation in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).
• ACTUATE is setting up two demonstration pilots or SHOW labs to instigate deeper socio-technological transformation i.e. that waste is energy and a resource that needs harnessing locally.
• One of the labs or demonstration plant is being set up within a community-based primary school in Accra, Ghana and the other within a University campus at the University of Benin Nigeria.

The Actuate Objectives

The ACTUATE Project has been driven with the following key objectives:

  • To construct working demonstrator anaerobic digestion facilities in both Ghana and Nigeria to process organic wastes, produce power and for the resulting digestate to be used as a sustainable soil conditioner/fertiliser.
  • These working examples will be used to positively highlight the technology as a credible option for management of waste, bioenergy and soil/food security and de-risk the opportunity for potential investors.
  • Through working with schools and their communities, university, research institutes, NGOs and SMEs, we will highlight how this example of a circular economy impacts on human health and the environment and look to develop safer practices within the stake holder groups.
  • To support cultural and generational changes in thinking and understanding around the paradigm of a safe circular economy.
  • To support the expansion and commercialisation of the technologies through local SMEs and entrepreneurs.