Source: Agence Ecofin, June 2025

In Côte d’Ivoire, a pioneering project aims to transform cocoa residues into renewable electricity. This initiative is part of a drive to recycle agricultural waste in support of the energy transition and sustainable development.

Climate Fund Managers (CFM) and Société des Énergies Nouvelles (SODEN) announced on Tuesday June 3 the signing of a USD 3 million financing agreement to co-develop the world’s first grid-connected power plant fuelled by cocoa waste at Divo, 200 km north of Abidjan in Côte d’Ivoire.

The 76 MW plant is expected to generate 550 GWh a year of renewable electricity from 2029, by recycling 600,000 tonnes of end-of-life cocoa shells, pods, beans and rubber trees. It is expected to avoid 300,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions every year, create more than 3,900 jobs and generate 6.8 million euros in local spin-offs per year. Around 36,000 small cocoa farmers will also benefit from additional income.

Côte d’Ivoire: CFM and SODEN to develop the 1st biomass cocoa power plant