More green jobs from the world’s first cocoa-powered plant in Africa

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Côte d’Ivoire is advancing its energy transition using cocoa!

The Divo project, as it’s named, will be the world’s first grid-connected cocoa waste-to-energy plant, backed by US$3 million in development financing.

It’s part of the country’s strategy to turn agricultural waste from cocoa and rubber production into renewable energy.

Climate Fund Managers (CFM) and Société Des Energies Nouvelles (SODEN) have signed a deal to co-develop a 76MW facility.

Once complete, the plant will convert around 600,000 tons of cocoa shells, pods, off-grade beans, and rubber tree residues into 550 GWh of renewable electricity each year.

That’s enough to power over 1.4 million people.

Why it matters:

• The project will help avoid 300,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually for the next 30 years.

• It will create more than 3,900 jobs – 3,500 during construction and 440 permanent roles.

• Around 36,000 smallholder cocoa farmers will benefit from new income streams.

• It’s expected to inject EUR 6.8 million annually into the local economy.

Côte d’Ivoire produces over 45% of the world’s cocoa and generates more than 13 tons of waste for every ton harvested.

The Divo Biomass Project offers a sustainable way to repurpose that waste while creating jobs and boosting rural livelihoods.