A homemade plant in Asesewa that converts discarded plastic bags into liquids resembling petrol and diesel has failed the National Petroleum Authority’s (NPA) initial quality tests.
The regulator has warned motorists not to use the unrefined products in their vehicles, but says it wants to help the inventor improve the process rather than halt the experiment.
An NPA delegation led by Eastern Regional Director Salifu S. Nagumsi travelled to the Eastern Region town to meet 38-year-old Michael Adaesame after videos of his backyard operation went viral over the weekend.
Adaesame’s equipment uses a perforated metal barrel, vertical condensation pipes and heat to process plastic waste. The material is first turned into a thick, grease-like substance before its vapour is separated into lighter and heavier liquids.
During a demonstration, an explanation of the method said: “So he managed to get a barrel, perforated the top, and placed the rubbers inside.” It added: “The higher the heat, the lighter the product.”
Inspectors used a mobile laboratory kit to test samples said to be petrol and diesel at the site. The checks formed part of the NPA’s work to promote safer downstream petroleum standards.
Neither sample met the technical specifications required for use in motor vehicles. Officials therefore issued fuel safety warnings and advised people in the area not to pour the liquids into their vehicle tanks.
The NPA team collected additional samples and took them to Accra for full laboratory analysis. Despite the failed initial tests, the delegation praised Adaesame’s attempt to transform plastic waste into a potential source of useful energy.
One member of the delegation said the NPA’s Chief Executive would welcome the idea, adding that the visit had been arranged to establish what was happening and report back.
“Our Chief Executive would welcome that idea wholeheartedly,” the official said. “We are here because he sent us to come and verify what is on the ground, and then give him feedback.”
The official added: “So we will go back and give him our report, then we will take it up from there.”
The delegation also said Adaesame’s work was motivated by environmental curiosity rather than commercial interests. The comments come as Ghana continues to depend on government fuel-price interventions and imported petroleum products.
“He is not doing it for business, he is not doing it for the market, and he has no hidden motives for engaging in this production,” the team said.
