Off-Grid Market Assessment for Côte d'Ivoire

The project is implemented by RTI International in collaboration with Fraym, Norton Rose Fulbright, Practical Action Consulting, and Tetra Tech. Power Africa is a partnership of 12 U.S. Government agencies, over 145 private companies, and 18 bilateral and multilateral development partners that work together to support sub-Saharan governments in increasing access to power. The Power Africa Off-grid Project aims to achieve 30,000 megawatts of new generated power, create 60 million new connections, and reach 300 million Africans by 2030. The project focuses on providing support to private off-grid companies and making the markets in sub-Saharan Africa more attractive for investment and operations. Power Africa defines "access" as the direct or actual number of new households and businesses connected to electricity via an on- or off-grid solution. Côte d'Ivoire is one of the countries targeted by the Power Africa Off-grid Project. The country's electricity sector is characterized by a high demand for energy, with an estimated 70% of the population lacking access to electricity. The government has set ambitious electrification targets, aiming to increase the number of households with electricity from 20% to 50% by 2025. However, the country faces significant challenges in achieving these targets, including a lack of infrastructure, limited access to finance, and inadequate regulatory frameworks. The report provides a comprehensive review of the off-grid solar energy market in Côte d'Ivoire, including a detailed analysis of solar home systems (SHSs), mini-grids, productive use, and other aspects of the off-grid solar value chain. The report also includes insights into policy and regulatory issues, the structure and historical context of the energy sector, and gender mainstreaming. Additionally, the report includes a geospatial analysis that highlights potential areas for off-grid solar market expansion. The geospatial analysis leverages machine learning to identify potential local markets for off-grid solar energy. The analysis provides granular details on latent electricity demand by household income, which will help companies prioritize how to expand into new geographic markets. The report also includes expert knowledge from Power Africa's lead advisors, information gathered from stakeholder interviews, and data from the Global Off-Grid Lighting Association (GOGLA). The Power Africa Off-grid Project's goal is to increase electricity access by adding 30MW of new generation capacity and 60 million new connections through grid and off-grid solutions by 2030. The project focuses on providing support to private off-grid companies and making the markets in sub-Saharan Africa more attractive for investment and operations. The project's success will depend on the ability to address the challenges facing the off-grid solar energy market in Côte d'Ivoire, including a lack of infrastructure, limited access to finance, and inadequate regulatory frameworks. The report provides a snapshot of the off-grid solar energy market in Côte d'Ivoire, which can be used to determine market growth and dynamics that change over time. The insights from the report will help Power Africa's technical advisors guide their continuing work and inform the project's planning and prioritization of activities. The report also serves as a baseline for future assessments and will help to identify areas for further research and development.