The Ivory Coast has taken a major step forward in sustainable industrial innovation with the launch of Africa’s first commercial-scale biochar production facility in Attinguié, located within the PK 31 industrial zone on the outskirts of Abidjan.
Inaugurated on June 18, 2026, the facility is a flagship project of Valency International, designed to convert cashew nut shells—long dismissed as industrial waste—into high-value products for the energy and manufacturing sectors.
The ceremony was led by the Minister of Commerce, Industry and Crafts, Kalil Konaté, alongside government officials, institutional leaders, and technical partners. During the event, the minister emphasized the transformation of agricultural byproducts into strategic industrial inputs, calling it a milestone for local value creation and sustainable development.
The plant is engineered to process up to 20,000 metric tons of cashew shells annually, producing approximately 6,000 metric tons of biochar. It also generates biofuel and clean energy through advanced agricultural residue valorization technology. This initiative aligns with the country’s broader strategy to reduce waste in the cashew industry while unlocking new economic opportunities within the sector.
« This marks a turning point in how we perceive agricultural waste—not as refuse, but as a vital resource for industrial progress, » stated the minister while touring the facility with executives from Valency International and Revata Carbon. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to fostering innovative, job-creating industries that drive sustainable growth.
The Ivory Coast, already the world’s leading producer of raw cashew nuts, continues to expand its local processing capabilities to capture greater economic benefits from the crop. This new biochar unit reinforces the nation’s ambition to build a high-performing cashew processing industry while embedding circular economy principles into its agricultural value chains.
By turning what was once discarded into a strategic commodity, the Ivory Coast is setting a precedent for sustainable industrial practices across the continent.
