Gabon’s new particleboard wood waste recycling plant has been operational since 30 January 2023. Ali Bongo Ondimba, the Gabonese president, inaugurated the installation in the presence of his Togolese counterpart, Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, pointing out that it was the first factory of its kind to be set up in the Central African sub-region. It was named Africa View.
The new recycling unit located in the Nkok Special Economic Zone (SEZ) will produce 8,750 m3 of particleboard per month, used for the manufacture of furniture. This will be achieved by supplying 400 tonnes of wood waste to the facility on a daily basis.
Promoting the development of a sustainable wood industry
Between 750 and 1,000 direct and indirect jobs will be created in the recycling sector during 2023 in Gabon. The recycling plant will be able to export a volume of 105,000 m3 of particleboard per year.
In addition to reducing air pollution caused by the burning of waste wood, the challenge for the Gabonese authorities is to promote the development of a sustainable wood industry, which will create jobs and ensure the renewal of natural resources. The recovery of wood waste will also make it possible to limit wood cutting in Gabon, reinforcing the country’s ambition to position itself as an environmental champion at the continental and global level.
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The recycling project, which is being completed with the inauguration of a new plant in Nkok, is the result of a public-private partnership (PPP) between Gabon Special Economic Zone (GSEZ) and the Société Nationale de Bois du Gabon (SNBG). It required an investment of 10 billion CFA francs, more than 15.2 million euros.
Inès Magoum