Côte d’Ivoire cocoa waste project secures backing for 76 MW biomass plant

A major cocoa biomass energy project in Côte d’Ivoire has reached a new milestone with support from financial partners including CFM and SODEN.
The 76 MW facility, which will be located in the southern town of Divo, will convert cocoa pod husks - a common agricultural by-product - into electricity.
The project, officially named BioDem Cote d’Ivoire, is being developed by Société des Energies Nouvelles (SODEN), in collaboration with Société Africaine de Biomasse Energie (SAB Energy).
It aims to process approximately 476,000 tonnes of cocoa waste per year, turning this abundant agricultural residue into renewable electricity.
Côte d’Ivoire is the world’s largest cocoa producer, and the sector generates substantial organic waste that has historically gone unused or contributed to emissions through open burning or decay.
The new biomass plant seeks to harness this resource, providing both an environmental and economic benefit to the region.
The financing model includes contributions from Compagnie Financière Mont-Blanc (CFM) and other regional development stakeholders.
Total investment in the project is expected to reach $280 million (approximately €260 million), with construction scheduled to begin later this year.
Once operational, the plant is anticipated to supply power to over 1.7 million people through integration into the national grid.
The initiative aligns with Côte d’Ivoire’s broader strategy to increase renewable energy’s share of its power mix and to diversify beyond hydroelectricity and gas-fired generation.
The project also supports rural economic development by creating new markets for cocoa farmers, who will be able to sell their pod husks instead of discarding them.
BioDem Cote d’Ivoire has already completed its feasibility and environmental impact assessments and has received initial regulatory approvals. Stakeholders expect the plant to come online in 2027, contributing to the country’s long-term climate and energy resilience objectives.