A group of researchers from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has developed an innovative, eco-friendly technique for creating high-performance batteries using taro (Kooko or brobe) peels.

This cost-efficient and environmentally responsible process has the potential to transform the energy storage sector. The research, published in the Energy Storage journal, demonstrates how taro peels were converted into activated carbon, leading to improved battery performance.

The lead researcher and member of the KNUST Center for Engineering Materials Research (KCEMR), Dr. Daniel Nframah Ampong, explained the technique, “We used an environmentally friendly approach to synthesize activated carbon from taro peels. These waste materials contain some properties or functional groups that we believed at the time would enhance the performance of energy storage devices.”

“The commercially available activated carbons on the market are usually synthesized from chemicals and methods that are toxic, hazardous, and expensive. So, we decided to come down to our level and use the process of producing charcoal in our villages. We mimicked that process using crucibles, and at the end, we were able to synthesize the activated carbon, which had similar properties to the commercially available activated carbons,” he said.

The final product exhibited impressive performance in lab assessments.

Leveraging biomass and organic waste like taro peels helps address ecological issues while fostering the growth of sustainable energy solutions.

“The purpose of the research is to get some storage systems to store renewable energies when they are in excess so that when we need them, we would be able to utilize it effectively since the country is advocating for increasing renewable energy in our energy generation mix. We want to produce something that is eco-friendly with a cheap synthesis process, and the starting materials are locally available,” Dr Ampong added.

Professor Kwadwo Mensah-Darkwa, the research lead for the energy materials team and Dr. Ampong’s mentor, underscored the groundbreaking progress being made in the lab to leverage biowaste for environmentally-friendly energy alternatives.

“There has been a lot of development trying to use these biowaste materials mostly to drive our energy storage agenda. The plan is we want to get an eco-friendly way of creating materials for energy storage devices. This is what we are looking forward to at our lab.”

Prof. Mensah-Darkwa shared his enthusiasm about the potential of their research moving forward.

“While some tests had previously required travel, the recent establishment of a new materials laboratory through the KNUST Engineering Education Programme (KEEP) has made a major difference.”

We have equipment now where we can test these assembled cells. So now the output of our research is going to be quite effective, and we would be able to look at all other opportunities we have. However, the synthesized materials ought to be characterized by techniques to confirm the actual material properties needed for specific applications, which we currently lack as a department."

He also spoke of the long-term potential of their work: "We know that there is opportunity in this area, and if we build on our expertise, then we can now look at how to scale it up and how to make an impact. We are a little bit far from building our own batteries, but we are close to understanding how we can do these things locally," he explained.