At the 3rd INAET (International Network on African Energy Transition) conference, held on June 11 and 12, 2026 in Abidjan, the energy giant Eni unveiled a groundbreaking project. By utilizing rubber tree seeds, this initiative opens up a crucial new source of income for Ivorian farmers, while simultaneously propelling the country to the forefront of the global energy transition.

A world first rooted in the circular economy

Conducted in close collaboration with the Ivorian government, this project achieves a technological feat: transforming rubber tree seeds – formerly abandoned in plantations – into second-generation biofuels.

The major advantage? Unlike other biofuels, this sector uses existing residues and does not compete with local food crops at all.

How does the sector work?

1. The collection: The producers harvest the seeds from their plots.
2. The consolidation: The stocks are transported to the cooperatives of the Federation of Rubber Producers (FPH).
3. The transformation: A local industrial unit extracts the vegetable oil from the seeds.
4. Refining: The oil is sent to Enilive biorefineries to be converted into biofuel.

Zero waste: A multiplied local impact

The initiative takes the logic of the circular economy even further by valorizing all pressing residues:

1. Animal feed: Protein-rich oilseed cakes serve as a nutritional basis for local livestock.
2. Clean Cooking : Biomass waste is converted into environmentally friendly fuels, supporting carbon offset programs and improving household health.

A triple benefit: Economic, social and environmental

This virtuous model redefines Ivorian agribusiness by generating positive impacts at all levels:

1. For farmers: A direct and regular supplementary income from resources previously wasted.
2. For employment: Boosting the collection, logistics and industrial processing sectors.
3. For the planet: Optimized maintenance of plantations, a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions on the ground and the preservation of forests.

This project is part of Eni's global "agri-feedstock" program, which aims to develop sustainable raw materials without compromising food security or natural ecosystems.

Rubber trees in Ivory Coast: An agricultural giant

This innovation relies on an already powerful sector. Alongside cocoa, rubber is the agroforestry pillar of Ivory Coast.

Indicator	Rank and Volume (Data)
National production (2023)	~1.5 million tonnes of natural rubber
Share of world production	Approximately 9%
Continental ranking	🥇 Africa's leading producer
World ranking	🏅 4th largest producer in the world

By transforming its massive volumes of latex into rubber and its residues into energy, Ivory Coast is consolidating its position as an agricultural leader while becoming a pioneer of the bioeconomy of tomorrow.