With a significant socio-economic potential i.a. for poverty reduction, health, and education renewable energies exploited by way of photovoltaic and biomass technologies are an important future market across the African continent. In the forthcoming decade, Côte d’Ivoire’s government aims to have achieved for its country position of an energy hub with respect to exploiting domestic natural resources  from renewables. Rural energy access is expected to boost broad-based employment and income in the sector.

According to the government's sectoral policy, the share of renewable energy (RE) in the electricity mix is to reach 45% by 2030, thanks to an increase in production capacity to 900 MW from photovoltaic, and 410 MW from biomass power plants. The country’s NDCs also forecast a 20% increase in energy efficiency (EE) in buildings and industrial facilities.

The project provides institutional and technical capacity development by way of basic education and vocational training, to empower the Ministry of Mines, Oil and Energy (MMPE), other public institutions and private sector entrepreneurs, to promote job-creating RE/EE solutions and mobilize climate finance, thus increasing both professional employment and employment opportunities in the sector.

It sustains the newly established Fédération Ivoirienne des Associations en Efficacité énergétique, Energies renouvelables et climat (FIACER) in promoting cooperation among existing associations in the sector and providing the necessary tailored extension services.

Potential investors in the sectors are accompanied in the development of training courses focusing on RE/EE, to increase their market knowledge of RE/EE and qualified service providers. Industry associations‘ capacities for lobbying government get strengthened, to create a favorable business environment for RE/EE. At the level of cooperation with the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MESRS) the project introduces elements of dual education in selected course curricula of partnering universities.

The project contributes to the Federal Republic of Germany‘s and the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire‘s cooperation agreement to support the Ministry of Mines, Oil and Energy (MMPE) in achieving national climate change targets from the Paris Agreement‘s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). ProFERE II is part of the Technical cooperation and Partnership for Climate and Development.