Tite of  Project: POWER PRODUCTION FROM FOREST BIOMASS IN CÔTE D’IVOIRE

Geographical situation

Target sector: CDM Small Scale Project: Type of methodology III.E
Avoidance of methane emission from biomass anaerobic decay
Project’s Present status and phases:
Conception Phase: PDP Preparation
Project Development cost (studies,): in progress
Project Development cost (studies,): in progress
Project start date: 2009
Project life span: 30 years
Reckoning period: 10 years

Environmental problem: Estimated to more than 4 million of TEP per year, forest and agricultural wastes produce greenhouse gases (CH3, CO2, NO2,…) in the atmosphere.

Project’s targets: Forest   wastes stocked for many years pollute lead air, waters and soils’. Once burnt, they produce harmful gases; among these gases we have CO2 and the NOX.
The purpose of the project is to reduce these nuisances by using these wastes to produce electricity and heat.
The produced electricity will not only supply sawmills in electricity, but will also,  through cogeneration, contribute to accelerate the drying of other woods, and  cocoa beans.
Areas close to this Power Station will be electrified at reduced cost.

Context: The forest wastes such as sawdust of wood, cuttings, off-cuts, etc. have been stocked more 30 years. These wastes lead to the nuisance of soils, of water and ambient air. Nearest populations are affected by some particles coming from these sawdust in air and the smoke that comes out once these sawdust are burnt.
This electricity cogeneration project will permit to avoid or to reduce the gases that escape of sawdust wastes.
Without this project, the situation could remain unaltered for a long time. 

Financial aspects:
Environmental Impact Studies and feasibility studies: in progress.
Financing Source already identified:

• Negotiations for ERPA contract with some Europeans purchasers:
• A Joint Venture agreement is in progress with some Europeans and Israelis Technologies Owners

To ease the financing, various contracts are being signed between partners concerned (sawdust’s appropriation, land purchase, …).
At institutional level, negotiations are in progress to meet the Representatives of the sector with the purpose of signing a purchase contract over 25 to 30 years.

Technical description: All identified sites daily generate more 3.500 m3 of sawdust. The promotion of this biomass energy will not only permit to produce electricity for the purpose of the sawmills but will also permit to inject a part of it  in the national power network, will generate heat in order to dry cocoa beans and to get some  carbon credits.

The operation will consist of installing a set of cogeneration, acquiring materials and specific facilities and of having some registered suppliers with references, of constructing road networks, establishing suitable facilities, establishing some operating methods and selling  electric  or thermal energy.

Estimated results: Yearly average estimate of avoided or reduced emissions:   500.000 tons equivalent of CO2/year

Methodology:
AMS-III.E Avoidance of methane production from biomass decay through controlled combustion, gasification or mechanical/thermal treatment
AMS-I-C Thermal energy for the use or without electricity.

The project will allow:
Creation of various economic activities
- Social development
- Creation of jobs
- Creation of activities generating jobs
- Fight against poverty: more than 100.000 people will have access to energy
- To improve rural social environment in order to fix women and young men and slow down rural exodus
- Access to energy resources in accordance with the wishes expressed by ECOWAS/WAEMU Heads of States in the framework WDO
- To fight against Greenhouse Gases – rejection of cleaner gases in the air

The Sustained development strategy and the priorities of the country in relation to the project:

To contribute to rural electrification. In 2006 more 6500 areas in Ivory Coast were not electrified.
- This project matches with the National Development Plan for electrification (PDER) that aims at electrifying 100% of the Ivory Coast up to 2020.
-   allow Ivory Coast to be electricity independent.