Côte d’Ivoire seeks to turn agricultural waste into energy

Côte d’Ivoire is seeking to turn millions of tonnes of agricultural waste into a source of renewable energy as the country accelerates efforts to develop biomass energy and promote cleaner cooking solutions.

The Fund for Science, Technology and Innovation (FONSTI), in partnership with Enabel and the European Union, presented the VABICUI project on Thursday in Abidjan. The initiative focuses on converting agricultural residues into energy while supporting the development of cleaner cooking technologies.

Funded by the European Union and implemented by Enabel, VABICUI is scheduled to run for four years, from February 2024 to January 2028. The project aims to strengthen value chains in biomass energy and clean cooking while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and supporting local economic development.

The initiative targets waste generated by major agricultural sectors, including cocoa, cashew, cassava, rubber, oil palm and cotton. Côte d’Ivoire generates an estimated 15 million to 17 million tonnes of agricultural waste each year, much of which remains underused despite its potential for energy production.

The FONSTI is supporting the development of demonstration projects that will test innovative technologies for converting agricultural waste into energy and promoting clean cooking. Five projects are expected to receive support under the current call for proposals.

The technologies being promoted include solutions for biomass energy production and cleaner cooking, with the broader objective of creating commercially viable value chains and encouraging private-sector investment.

For Côte d’Ivoire, the project offers an opportunity to address two challenges at the same time: reducing the environmental impact of agricultural waste and expanding access to cleaner energy.

The initiative also supports the country’s broader energy transition goals, including the development of renewable energy and the expansion of clean cooking solutions. Côte d’Ivoire has set a target of having 50% of households using clean cooking solutions by 2030.