In the fields east of Abidjan, Ivory Coast, piles of palm stalks used to be an endless burden, but now they are sent into boilers to turn into electricity and light up the night sky in West Africa. In September 2026, the CEEC joint venture completed the dual unit test of the Bioya power station, which is the largest biomass power station in West Africa and is about to turn agricultural waste into green energy.

Palm petioles turn green with electricity

The Biouya Power Station is located in Aboisso Province, about 100 kilometers east of Abidjan, Ivory Coast, with a total installed capacity of 46 megawatts. It is invested by Biouya Energy, a joint venture between Electricit é de France, Meridia, and SIFCA, and is EPC contracted by the CEEC consortium. The project uses palm leaf stalks as the main fuel and is the world's first biomass power station to generate electricity on a large scale using this fuel. It is also the largest similar power station under construction in West Africa. The large amount of waste produced annually by 12000 growers within a radius of 60 kilometers, which was previously inefficiently disposed of or discarded, is now being utilized as fuel for power generation, providing an energy source for Ivory Coast's agricultural waste.

A power station illuminates three provinces

After all the dual machines are put into operation, the power station can deliver 348 million kilowatt hours of clean electricity annually, accounting for 15% of the total renewable energy generation in Cote d'Ivoire. It can stably meet the daily electricity needs of 1.7 million local people, and prioritize the transmission of electricity to the Abidjan Economic Circle, which contributes 60% of the country's GDP, covering Aboisso Province and surrounding three provinces. The project reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 180000 tons annually and provides over 1000 job opportunities during peak construction periods. Hang Steam Turbine Group will provide two reaction type high-speed air-cooled steam turbine generator sets for the project, and participate in the equipment matching mode. In addition to the Bioya power station, a 25 MW cotton waste power station is currently under construction in Bengali, northern Kosovo, and a cocoa waste power station is being built by SODEN in Divo, central and western Kosovo. Keywords: biomass power station, West African market

New opportunities for going global

For small and medium-sized enterprises, the biomass power generation market in West Africa is still in its infancy, and companies that specialize in boiler and turbine environmental protection equipment can follow EPC general contractors to enter the market. During the CEEC construction period, local organizations collaborated to plant trees in the KOTOAGNOA state-owned forest area, balancing ecological restoration and community relations. This model of combining agricultural waste with local employment and community building is easily supported by policies. It should be noted that although the performance test of the dual machine has been completed, the commercial COD transfer is still progressing, and the electricity emission reduction and employment data are the expected design values. Fuel supply, price fluctuations, and weak power grids in West Africa may restrict full load operation. From palm leaf stalks to clean electricity, Bioya uses a 46 megawatt power station to turn agricultural waste into the largest clean energy project in West Africa. The opportunity for Chinese enterprises lies in understanding the business logic of resource utilization and connecting with EPC general contractors and local investors.Editor/Min Jing