Masdar To Support Côte d’Ivoire’s Clean Energy Goals

The Agreements Were Signed Under The Umbrella Of The Etihad 7 Initiative

The plant would support the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire’s goal of having 42 percent of its energy mix come from renewable sources by 2030.

Mamadou Sangafowa Coulibaly, the Ivorian Minister of Mining, Petroleum, and Energy, said, "Côte d’Ivoire has committed under climate change agreements to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 32 percent and to increase the share of renewable energies in its energy mix to 45 percent by 2030."

"In accordance with its commitments, Côte d’Ivoire has drawn up a master plan for the development of its production facilities, which integrates solar, hydroelectricity, and biomass. The framework agreement that we have just signed with Masdar, accompanied by a first project of 50 to 70 MW, will contribute, in addition to the other initiatives that the Ivorian government is undertaking, to achieving this ambitious objective.

Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, Chief Executive Officer, Masdar, said, "As part of Masdar’s new shareholding structure launched in December, we have a goal of delivering 100 GW of clean energy around the world by 2030. With Africa’s massive projected development and growth and low current clean energy penetration levels, we see enormous potential for the renewable energy sector across the continent. This agreement will support Côte d’Ivoire’s clean energy goals and help to drive sustainable economic development for the nation."

As further mentioned in the report, with the Côte d’Ivoire signing, there are now five Etihad 7 projects under agreement, with three others signed at ADSW 2023, which included an agreement with Angola’s Ministry of Energy and Water for the development of renewable energy projects with a total capacity of 2 GW.

an agreement with Uganda’s Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development for the development of greenfield renewable projects with a total installed capacity of 1 GW.

And an agreement with Zambia’s Ministry of Energy and Zambia's national utility, ZESCO Limited, for the joint development of solar, wind, and hydroelectricity projects with a total capacity of 2 GW.

In August of last year, Masdar also made a deal with TANESCO, the only electricity provider in Tanzania, to build renewable energy projects with a total capacity of up to 2 GW. This was also part of the Etihad 7 program.The two parties are in the process of finalizing the establishment of a joint venture company to advance this strategic collaboration, according to the report.

According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), less than half of the sub-Saharan African population has access to electricity. Africa also generates just 20 percent of its electricity from renewable sources.

The continent has a theoretical potential capacity of approximately 850 terawatts (TW) of solar and wind energy, according to a report produced last year by Masdar and Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week with analytical support provided by McKinsey & Company.

Masdar already has a big presence in Africa. It has a joint venture called Infinity Power Holding with Egypt's Infinity to look for business opportunities on the continent.

In November, Masdar, Infinity Power, and Hassan Allam Utilities signed an agreement with the Government of Egypt to develop a 10 GW onshore wind project—one of the largest wind farms in the world.

As the report concluded, the three companies are also cooperating on the development of green hydrogen projects in Egypt, targeting a combined electrolyzer capacity of 4 GW by 2030 and an output of up to 480,000 t of green hydrogen per year. Masdar also has projects in Mauritania, Morocco, and the Seychelles.