On Thursday, November 5, Ivory Coast inaugurated a biomass power plant with an installed capacity of 46 megawatts in Ayebo, in the Aboisso department, during a ceremony chaired by the Minister of Economy, Planning and Development, Nialé Kaba, on behalf of the Prime Minister.
The facility comprises two 23 MW units and is expected to produce up to 348 gigawatt-hours per year, according to data released at the commissioning and confirmed by the manufacturer China Energy. This production corresponds to the annual electricity consumption of approximately 1.7 million people.
The Senate authorizes the ratification of the American donation of 300 million dollars for energyThe plant converts agricultural residues, notably palm fronds and wood from oil palm plantations, into electricity. The power is fed into the 90-kilovolt network of the eastern Abidjan area through the Aboisso substation.
The project, estimated at approximately 150 billion CFA francs, is led by BIOVEA Énergie with EDF Power Solutions, Meridiam, and SIFCA. Its construction has been carried out within the framework of a public-private partnership following the laying of the foundation stone in July 2023.
The ceremony takes place following the technical commissioning of the two units. China Energy announced on July 14 the start-up of the second unit, after reliability and performance tests, while the first had been gradually connected to the grid since October 2025.
BIOVEA plans to source from 12,000 planter families and operate the plant for twenty-five years. The operator estimates that biomass collection and site operation should create approximately 1,000 direct jobs over the duration of the concession.
The agreement approved by the State in December 2019 assigns BIOVEA the design, financing, construction, and operation of the power plant. The electricity produced is sold to the Ivorian State during the concession period.
