The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a window of the World Bank Group, announced on Monday, March 9, the signing of an agreement to finance a gas-fired power plant project in Côte d'Ivoire. Called Atinkou, this new plant will increase the production and supply of energy in Côte d'Ivoire.

For this project which will cost globally 270 billion CFA francs (404 million Euros 1Euro=668.34), the IFC and its partners provide support of 202.505 billion CFA francs (303 million Euros). “The project consists of a 20-year concession to develop and operate a 390 MW natural gas-fired power plant located approximately 40 kilometers west of Abidjan. Using high-efficiency combined-cycle turbine technology, the plant will significantly reduce Côte d'Ivoire's electricity generation costs and greenhouse gas emissions, in part through the replacement of generating units generation", explains the communication unit of the Sfi. Who affirms that “Atinkou” is carried by Eranove, a leading industrial group which manages several assets in the field of water and electricity in West Africa and Central Africa.

Eranove notably owns and operates the CIPREL project, which, with its 544 MW, is the largest power plant in Côte d'Ivoire. “Once the plant is built, Atinkou will provide affordable electricity to several thousand homes and businesses, while helping Côte d'Ivoire achieve its goal of transitioning to greener electricity generation. IFC's investment in this project demonstrates its long-standing commitment to the electricity sector in Côte d'Ivoire, which began in 1994 on the CIPREL project", recalls Linda Rudo Munyengeterwa, IFC's regional director for infrastructure and natural resources in the Middle East and Africa.

The Sfi, which is the leader of this project, benefited from the participation of the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Dutch Development Finance Company (Fmo) as well as the Deutsche Investitions- undEntwicklungsgesellschaft (Deg), the Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund, part of the Private Infrastructure Development Group, and the OPEC Fund for International Development. “Atinkou relies on the expertise and experience acquired by the Eranove group with the Ciprel power plant. It thus illustrates the strength of Eranove's industrial model and its anchoring in African expertise and skills. Atinkou also confirms Eranove's leading position as an independent producer and delegated manager of public services in the water and electricity sectors in Côte d'Ivoire. We would like to thank the State of Côte d'Ivoire. Ivoire and IFC for their trust, which will increase energy production in Côte d'Ivoire, thus promoting the development of the country and the sub-region", underlines Marc Albérola, general manager of the industrial group Eranove.