Country Overview
The African country of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) is bordered by Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Burkina Faso, Ghana, and the Atlantic Ocean. The population of Ivory Coast is approximately 29.11 million people.
In 2022, Ivory Coast’s economy was ranked 80th in gross domestic product (GDP) in the world. The country’s economy is dependent on the export of cocoa beans, rubber, gold, coconuts, Brazil nuts, cashews, and cocoa paste.
Environmental Policies
In 2016, Ivory Coast signed the Paris Climate Agreement, committing to a 28% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, compared to business as usual.
Power Generation Capabilities
In 2021, 71.1% of the people in Ivory Coast had access to electricity. In 2021, the Ivory Coast Electricity Company used natural gas (40.9%), renewable energy (30.1%), and refined petroleum (29.0%) to generate electricity in Ivory Coast. Hydropower is the dominant type of renewable energy used to generate electricity in Ivory Coast.
Recent renewable energy projects in Ivory Coast include:
- 91 MW Hydropower Project – Canadian company CI-Energies is continuing work on the Daboitie hydropower project, which will be located on the Bandama River in the southern region of the country. The project is forecast to be commissioned in 2026.
- 44 MW Hydropower Project – State-owned Ivoire Hydro Energy SAS is continuing work on Singrobo-Ahouaty hydropower project, which is located on the Bandama River in the southern region of the country. The project is forecast to be commissioned by March 2024.
- 5 MW Solar + 10 MW Energy Storage Project – In December 2022, Ivory Coast power company, Compagnie Ivoirienne d’Electricité commissioned the Boundiali solar plus battery energy storage system (BESS) in the northern region of the country.
- 20 MW Floating Solar Project – Societe des Energies de Cote d’Ivoire is continuing work on the Kossou Floating Photovoltaic Power Plant, which will be located on a water reservoir at the Kossou dam, in the central region of the country. The project is forecast to be commissioned in 2025.
Conclusions
Ivory Coast imports refined petroleum for transportation, and power generation. In 2021, Ivory Coast imported U.S. $1.45 Billion of refined petroleum.
On 24 February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine, prompting the European Union, United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand to place economic sanctions on Russian imports and exports. As a result, the crude oil and natural gas prices increased by over 50% from May 2021 to May 2022.
Ivory Coast has vast undeveloped renewable energy resources, including hydropower, onshore wind, solar, offshore wind, and biomass. Expensive refined petroleum imports are accelerating the Ivory Coast’s move to low-cost, reliable renewable energy.
Jack Kerfoot
Website – “Our Energy Conundrum”
www.jackkerfoot.com
Jack Kerfoot is a scientist, energy expert, and author of the book FUELING AMERICA, An Insider’s Journey and articles for The Hill, one of the largest independent political news sites in the United States. He has been interviewed on over 100 radio, podcast, and television stations from New York City to Los Angeles on a diverse range of energy issues.