Eni Cote d’Ivoire to launch the distribution of 100.000 improved cookstoves for carbon offsetting

Bouaké (Cote d’Ivoire), 21 June 2022 – Eni Côte d’Ivoire has launched today in Bouaké the distribution of improved cookstoves (ICS) to vulnerable households, with an official ceremony graced by representatives from the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (MINEDD), the Direction Générale des Hydrocarbures (DGH) and Petroci (Eni business partner in the Country) to formally announce the commencement of the activities.

Under the project, Eni will distribute 100.000 ICS over a period of 6 years, starting already in 2022, from the Region of Gbêkê, targeting more than 300.000 people. All the stoves are produced by a local manufacturer, contributing to the development of local content and in-country value creation, and they have been tested by the Centre d’Études et de Recherches sur les Énergies Renouvelables (CERER) in Senegal.

The initiative aims to substitute the traditional wood-based cooking devices, reducing exposure to unhealthy smoke for people and decreasing the pressure on the forest resources, which is a primary concern in the country. The initiative is in line with the commitments of the Memorandum of Understanding signed with the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum last December, and is implemented in partnership with the non-profit organization AVSI.

This activity will enhance Eni’s decarbonization strategy in the country, aimed at developing the Baleine discovery as the first net-zero Scope 1 & 2 emissions development in Africa. The project will contribute to the overall carbon offsetting of the Baleine project though the generation of high-quality carbon credits certified by the international standard VERRA. It will generate approximately 1M VCU (Verified Carbon Units) over the next 10 years. Thus, the cookstove distribution represents a concrete example of aligning company’s targets with local development objectives to create shared sustainable value, contributing to the country’s National Development Plans, as well as to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

Eni is active in Cote d’Ivoire in the exploration and production sector since 2015. Its first exploration well, drilled in September 2021 in Block CI-101, led to the Baleine discovery, with resources estimated at over 2 billion barrels of oil in place and about 2.4 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of associated gas, which will contribute to increase energy production in Côte d'Ivoire, strengthening the country's role as a regional energy hub.