Overview

With the third largest electricity system in West Africa, the Ivoirian government is working toward making the country a West African electricity hub.  Côte d’Ivoire’s existing electricity system is the third largest in West Africa.  American companies and their reputation for quality products and service would find strong interest in exports such as smart energy-monitoring devices and renewable-energy-related services.

• National gross consumption was estimated at 11,442 Gigawatt hours (GWh), which represented an increase of 6.6 percent compared to 2021.
• National gross generation was estimated at 12,147.9 GWh, up 6.3 percent compared to 2021.
• Electricity capacity stood at 2,548 Megawatts (MW) with 879 MW for hydroelectric plants and 1,669 MW for thermal power stations. The Ivoirian power sector recorded two new production units of 279 MW. The Ivoirian power sector relies on thermal power plants using natural gas as its main fuel source.
• Côte d’Ivoire recorded 375,533 new households with electricity, including 251,133 connections funded by PEPT, a 2014 program which allows households with low incomes to pay for electricity over a 10- year period after an advance payment of 1,000 CFA (about $2). This brought the number of households with legally connections to 3,639,780, up to 6 percent compared to 2021.
• The average power outage time increased to 28 hours and 59 minutes, compared to 2021, where the average power outage was 17 hours and 52 minutes.

The weighted average cost of electricity production was 52.13 CFA ($0.09) per kilowatt-hour, up 10.4 percent compared to 47.2 CFA ($0.79) in December 2021.

Source: CI-Energies and CIE

Power Africa is a market-driven, U.S. government-led, public-private partnership aiming to double access to electricity in Sub-Saharan Africa.  It offers tools and resources to private sector entities to facilitate doing business in sub-Saharan Africa’s power sector.  The Electrify Africa Act of 2015 is the guiding legislation behind Power Africa.  American companies interested in the electricity sector should note the key actors:

• The Ministry of Mines, Petroleum, and Energy (MMPE): sets the energy policy and oversees regulatory functions. The Côte d’Ivoire Electricity Sector Regulation National Authority (ANARE-CI): the National Regulatory Agency, which monitors compliance with regulations and conventions in force, settles disputes, protects consumer interests, and advises and assists the Ivoirian government. Côte d’Ivoire Energies (CI-ENERGIES): the state-owned entity responsible for monitoring and managing the electricity system.  It also manage projects for which the state acts as the conceding authority.
• The Compagnie Ivoirienne d’Électricité (CIE):  the private company that operates some state-owned power plants (mainly hydropower plants) and the electricity network (transmission, distribution, and sales) since 1990, under a concession agreement.  In 2020, the government renewed the concession agreement for 12 years (through 2032).

CI-Energies Solar Power Projects

Source: CI-Energies

Leading Sub-Sectors

There are commercial opportunities in:

• Process Automation and Systems Control Equipment
• Gas-to-Power Technologies
• Renewable Energy Solutions (solar, biomass)
• Demand Side Management (DSM)
• Transmission and Distribution Equipment
• Energy Monitoring Systems

Opportunities

The MMPE has identified the development of off-grid, solar-based solutions as one method to expand electrification, particularly in rural areas.  The government’s Electricity for All program (Programme d’Electricité Pour Tous), National Rural Electrification Program (PRONER), and donor-financed programs are vehicles for tendering opportunities.  Rural electrification projects of approximately $334 million have been identified by the ministry and are available for Build-Operate-&-Transfer (BOT) contract or Public-Private-Partnership (PPP).  The United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) is funding a feasibility study related to “Energy Access and Resiliency for 100 communities”.  The study is determining the viability of building and operating decentralized solar mini grids to support energy access for up to 100 unelectrified communities comprising 190,000 persons in Côte d’Ivoire.  The MMPE is implementing the project through its Direction Générale de l’Énergie.  U.S. company Interface Engineering, Inc. is carrying out the study; the results should provide opportunities for American goods and services.  

Resources

• Ministry of Mines, Petroleum, and Energy (MMPE)
• Côte d’Ivoire Electricity Regulation Authority (ANARE-CI)
• Côte d’Ivoire Energies (CI-Energies)
• Compagnie Ivoirienne d’Electricité (CIE)
• Ivoirian Association of Renewable Energy (AIENR)