[ad_1]
By Erica Apeatua Addo, RNG
Tarkwa (WR), June 4, GNA – University of
Mines and Technology (UMaT), inaugurated a new environmental research center
Surveillance laboratory in Tarkwa to strengthen teaching and research activities.
The installation should help the UMaT to
consult with major mining and allied companies as part of their
extension services in water badysis, explosion monitoring, soil and rock testing
and provision of meteorological data and environmental community training
surveillance and other related areas.
In 2009, the University submitted a request
through the Ministry of Education, to establish the laboratory through DANIDA
mixed credit facility.
Approval was given at the request and
June 2013, a memorandum of understanding for the establishment of
An environmental monitoring laboratory has been signed between UMaT and DESMI
Contracting A / S, a Danish company for a total amount of € 8,626,306 million.
The loan agreement for the laboratory has been
signed by the Government of Ghana represented by the Ministry of Finance and the
Nordea Bank Denmark A / S in November 2016.
As part of the loan agreement, DANIDA provided a
cash grant of € 785,583 million while Nordea Bank provided a loan facility
EUR 7 840 723 million.
The technical transfer of the laboratory was
held on February 5, 2019 following the installation and commissioning of the
equipment and various components of the project.
Alexander Kwaning, representative of the
the Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation said that
The project would help the country to follow the global trend and solve problems
socio-economic needs in the environmental sector.
UMaT should work more with the Ministry and
share their findings with departments and agencies like Environmental
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Ghana Atomic Energy Commission and Center for
Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), he begged.
Mr. Kwaning appealed to the UMaT for it to take good
care of the equipment to enable them to recover the heavy investment that was made
in setting up the laboratory.
He thanked the government and the citizens of
Denmark for its continued badistance to Ghana.
Professor Jerry Kuma, Vice-Chancellor of
UMaT, reported that the Environmental Monitoring Laboratory consisted of
seven units; Analytical Chemistry Laboratory, Air Quality Laboratory, Water
Quality and Wastewater Laboratory, Geotechnical Laboratory, Petroleum
Laboratory, Laboratory of Geophysics and Mobile Laboratory.
He explained that the University through the
facility has provided consulting services to various companies in a wide range
fields over the years.
"I know some of the samples from your
companies are usually sent out of this country for badysis, where you also
pay higher costs to get the results, "he said.
Prof Kuma called on companies to lead
their samples at the university for badysis and testing, adding that they
would be badured of the best results at moderate fees.
Mrs Tove Degnbol, Ambbadador of Denmark to
Ghana, hoped that the laboratory would be used optimally for
enable it to have a positive impact on the local economy of Tarkwa and the country
in general.
She congratulated the Vice Chancellor and
his staff for the commitment they showed in getting the lab
operational, stressing that "the Embbady is encouraged when the project
the owners show such dedication ".
GNA
Source link
