Abidjan’s Public Transport Goes Green with Scania’s Biodiesel Pilot in Côte d’Ivoire

Abidjan’s Public Transport Goes Green with Scania’s Biodiesel Pilot in Côte d’Ivoire

(IN BRIEF) Scania West Africa, in partnership with TotalEnergies Marketing Côte d’Ivoire, ANADER, and LA SIR, has inaugurated a biodiesel pilot project in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. This initiative aims to significantly reduce emissions from public transport and create local jobs through the production of biofuels. Scania has been collaborating with ANADER since 2017 to explore opportunities for producing biofuels from waste materials in the country. In July 2022, they launched a pilot project to produce biodiesel from rubber seeds and tested it in a Scania bus. Over the past year, Scania delivered buses compatible with biodiesel to support sustainable transport in Abidjan. The project’s next phase will involve constructing a new bus depot and a Bus Rapid Transit corridor.

(PRESS RELEASE) SÖDERTÄLJE, 10-Nov-2023 — /EuropaWire/ — Scania, a leading Swedish supplier of sustainable transport solutions and services, engines for industrial and marine applications, and power generation, announces that Scania West Africa, in collaboration with TotalEnergies Marketing Côte d’Ivoire, ANADER, and LA SIR, has officially unveiled a pioneering biodiesel pilot project in Abidjan, the capital of Côte d’Ivoire. This pilot initiative is set to make a significant impact by reducing emissions from public transport and generating local employment opportunities through the production of biofuels. It represents a crucial milestone in Scania’s ongoing efforts to collaborate with partners, authorities, and customers in the pursuit of sustainable transport solutions.

The use of sustainably produced biofuels derived from waste materials is currently the most effective method for rapidly reducing emissions from public transport systems in African nations. Biofuels, particularly when used as biodiesel or biogas, can lead to a substantial reduction in carbon emissions, up to 80% or more. Recent research has underscored the critical role of biofuels in decarbonizing heavy-duty transport, both for existing fleets and new vehicles.

Scania embarked on its collaboration with the Agence Nationale d’Appui au Développement Rural (ANADER), a public agency supporting rural development in Côte d’Ivoire, in 2017. Their objective was to identify opportunities for local biofuel production using resources readily available in the country, such as cocoa and rubber, along with other agricultural waste and animal manure.

In July 2022, ANADER, Scania, and TotalEnergies solidified their partnership by signing an agreement to launch a pilot project aimed at producing 3,500 liters of FAME biodiesel from rubber seeds. This biodiesel was then subjected to a 30-day test in a Scania bus operated by the local transport company, SOTRA, in Abidjan.

Nicolas Lougovoy, Head of Strategic Projects for the Africa, Middle East, and Central Asia region at Scania, emphasized the collaborative and systematic approach adopted by the partners to reduce carbon emissions and air pollution from buses, stating “Together with our partners, we adopted a holistic and step-by-step approach to reduce the carbon footprint and air pollution from our buses,

Over the past year, Scania has supplied SOTRA with 400 standard buses compatible with biodiesel and 50 articulated buses compatible with biogas. These deliveries were part of the Sustainable Transport Project undertaken in conjunction with the Côte d’Ivoire Ministry of Transport.

The project’s second phase, commencing soon, will see the construction of a new bus depot and the development of a Bus Rapid Transit corridor, a joint effort by Scania and its partners. This infrastructure will deliver fast, reliable, and comfortable public transportation services to Abidjan’s residents.

Nicolas Lougovoy highlighted the significant positive impact of combining Bus Rapid Transit with buses powered by locally produced biofuels, emphasizing the creation of local jobs, additional income streams, and substantial reductions in carbon emissions and air pollution. He expressed pride in being part of an innovative and sustainable solution that benefits both the city’s inhabitants and the environment.

Media contact:

Erik Bratthall
Corporate Public and Media Relations manager
erik.bratthall@scania.com

SOURCE: Scania