Construction work on the Ayébo biomass plant in the Aboisso region of Ivory Coast will begin before the end of 2022. On 12 August 2022, Biovea Energie, which is implementing the project, announced the signing of a contract with China Energy Engineering Corp (CEEC). Under the agreement, the Chinese state-owned enterprise group will have until 2024 to deliver the future power plant.
The facility will have two units of 23 MW each, for a total of 46 MW. The electricity will be produced by disposing of 480,000 tonnes of oil palm waste. This waste will be collected over 25 years from 12,000 farmers in Ayébo.
The choice of the Chinese company CEEC follows the obtaining of a concessional loan of 135 million in June 2022 from Proparco, the subsidiary of the French Development Agency (AFD) in charge of financing the private sector. Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund (EAIF), a company of the Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG), is lending nearly 30 million euros.
Avoiding 340,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions per year
PIDG has also agreed to provide an investment grant of €8 million and €5 million for Proparco. The Dutch Development Finance Company (FMO) is also supporting the electrification project.
Biovea, owned by Électricité de France (EDF), Meridiam and Biokala, has already signed a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with the Ivorian Electricity Company (CIE). The subsidiary of the Eranove group will buy the kWh of electricity at 62 CFA francs (0.9 euro cents). The aim is to develop the sustainable agricultural supply chain and improve the production of renewable energy from local fuels in Ivory Coast, thereby reducing 340,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year.
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Biovéa’s project will create 500 local jobs during the construction phase of the plant and more than 1,000 jobs or full-time equivalent during the operation phase.
Inès Magoum