Green People’s Energy for Africa – Côte d’Ivoire

Green People’s Energy aims to improve the conditions for decentralized energy supply in rural areas in selected African countries, involving both citizens and companies. To this end, we are working in nine countries across sub-Saharan Africa, including Côte d’Ivoire. In addition to our country-based measures, we support cross-national charitable projects and strengthen partnerships between players in Europe and Africa.

In Côte d’Ivoire, the Green People’s Energy project encourages access to energy for agricultural populations in rural areas and offers them the opportunity to equip or use renewable energy systems.

To achieve these goals, the initiative will offer advisory services to stakeholders of the renewable energy and agricultural sector to promote productive use technologies to the Ivorian Market. Further, GBE will create results-based financing mechanisms to support local companies in introducing productive use technologies which are powered by renewable energies. The stakeholders of the cocoa industry are expected to be one of the main target institutions for the GBE, as the Ivory Coast is the biggest cocoa producer worldwide. Further, local businesses and financial institutions profit from trainings which enable these stakeholders to build their own internal capacity to improve the decentralization of the energy supply. Finally, GBE will advise policy makers on how to improve the framework conditions for decentralized renewable energy.

Did you know that…?

…that after the post-electoral crisis of 2011, only 34 % of the population had access to electricity, whereas now nearly 80 % of Ivorians have access to the grid?

…Côte d’Ivoire produced 2,229 megawatts of electricity in 2019 and is expected to double its production by 2030. The supply of electricity is currently largely provided by thermal power and hydroelectric dams?

…Côte d’Ivoire and Germany signed an agreement, in February 2020, to enable the country to double its production of renewable energy within ten years?

…today in Côte d’Ivoire, energy is 70 % produced and 100 % distributed by private operators. The network should cover 99% of the population by 2035 and 42 % of the energy produced will be renewable?

How we work

The ecosystem of the Project

To achieve its objectives, GBE will work closely with existing GIZ programs that are already active on the ground in the field of renewable energy and in support of the agricultural world. Partners in the project are civil society organizations, a platform of private sector associations, and national and international companies operating in the renewable energy and agricultural sector.

The target groups of the project in rural areas of Côte d’Ivoire are agricultural enterprises, cooperatives, women’s groups, farmers’ organizations and equipment manufacturers, as well as social institutions like schools and health centers.

Support for project planning or capacity building

Companies and cooperatives planning productive use projects will be supported by GBE Côte d’Ivoire in the development of projects and in the preparation of the necessary documents for funding applications.

The project plans to strengthen skills through training courses in partnership with the GIZ project for vocational training in the fields of renewable energy and energy efficiency (ProFERE).

In order to improve the framework conditions for the productive use of decentralized renewable energy systems, the project plans to provide support to the Ministry of Petroleum, Energy and Development of Renewable Energies (MPEER) in form of studies and advisory services.

Results-Based Financing (RBF) for the sale of productive use equipment

Participating companies receive financial incentives for each eligible piece of productive use equipment (solar pump, solar refrigerator or freezer, solar mill, etc.) sold and installed to end customers on a commercial basis. Incentives are paid after sales are reported and verified.