In a landmark move for West Africa’s agribusiness sector, Ivory Coast unveiled a state-of-the-art industrial unit dedicated to transforming cashew nut shells into high-value biochar. The inauguration ceremony took place on June 18, 2026, in Attinguié, within the PK 31 industrial zone on the outskirts of Abidjan.
The cutting-edge facility, developed by Valency International, marks a significant shift in how agricultural byproducts are perceived—from mere waste to valuable industrial inputs for energy and manufacturing sectors.
The event was led by Kalil Konaté, Minister of Commerce, Industry and Crafts, alongside key government officials, institutional leaders and technical partners. During the inauguration, he highlighted the project’s dual potential: eliminating waste from the cashew industry while unlocking new economic opportunities across the value chain.
This first-of-its-kind commercial-scale unit in Africa is engineered to process up to 20,000 tonnes of cashew shells annually. It will yield approximately 6,000 tonnes of biochar each year, complemented by biofuel and clean energy outputs through advanced agro-residue valorization technology.
The minister emphasized the project’s alignment with national goals of sustainable industrial growth, stating, “This initiative redefines agricultural byproducts as strategic industrial assets, fostering local value creation and eco-friendly manufacturing.”
Following the ceremony, Kalil Konaté toured the facility alongside executives from Valency International and Revata Carbon. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to backing innovative industrial ventures that spur job creation and economic expansion.
As the world’s leading producer of raw cashew nuts, Ivory Coast continues to prioritize local processing to amplify economic returns from the sector. With the launch of this biochar plant, the country advances its vision of a robust, circular economy—one where agricultural residues are fully integrated into industrial processes, minimizing waste and maximizing resource efficiency.
This pioneering infrastructure not only strengthens the cashew industry’s sustainability credentials but also underscores the government’s resolve to position industrial transformation as a cornerstone of long-term economic development in the region.
