On Thursday, 18 June 2026, Ivorian authorities inaugurated a biochar production unit in Attinguié, located in the PK 31 industrial zone on the outskirts of Abidjan.

Spearheaded by Valency International, this industrial project aims to transform cashew shells—long considered production waste—into high-value resources for the energy and industry sectors.

The inauguration ceremony was presided over by the Minister of Trade, Industry and Crafts, Kalil Konaté, joined by several administrative officials, institutional representatives and technical partners.

Billed as Africa’s first large-scale commercial unit dedicated to producing biochar from cashew shells, the facility will process nearly 20,000 tonnes of cashew processing residue annually. It is expected to generate about 6,000 tonnes of biochar, alongside biocarburant and energy, using agricultural by-product valorisation technology.

According to project promoters, this innovation will help reduce waste from the cashew nut industry while creating new economic opportunities around this strategic value chain.

“We are witnessing the transformation of agricultural by-products into strategic industrial resources,” said Minister Kalil Konaté, hailing an investment that fosters local value creation and promotes a more sustainable industry.

Following the ceremony, the minister toured the facilities alongside Valency International and Revata Carbon executives. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to supporting innovative industrial projects that generate jobs and drive growth.

As the world’s largest producer of raw cashew nuts, Côte d’Ivoire continues its strategy to boost local cashew processing in order to maximise the economic benefits of this crop. With this new biochar unit, the country reinforces its ambition to develop a high-performing processing industry while valorising agricultural by-products within a circular economy framework.

This infrastructure opens new prospects for the cashew sector and confirms the Ivorian authorities’ resolve to make industrial processing a driver of sustainable economic development.