TITLE:
Production of Electricity from Cocoa Pods by Gasification: Technical, Environmental, and Economic Evaluation of the CCS-180 System
AUTHORS:
Adjo Christelle Ogo, Yao N’Guessan, Sanwouh Élysée Yao, Bernabé Marί Soucase, Amal Bouich
KEYWORDS:
Gasification, Cocoa Pods, Biomass, Bioenergy, CCS-180, Biochar, Rural Electrification, Specific Biomass Consumption, LCOE, West Africa, Energy Transition, Sensitivity Analysis
JOURNAL NAME:
Modeling and Numerical Simulation of Material Science,
Vol.16 No.3,
July
14,
2026
ABSTRACT: This study evaluates the energy valorisation of cocoa pod husks (Theobroma cacao) through the integration of the CCS-180 gasification system at the PEMMS cocoa-processing plant in rural Côte d’Ivoire. The analysis distinguishes two scales: one CCS-180 base module rated at 180 kWe gross output, and a 2.8-module extrapolated scenario for the PEMMS active demand of 504 kWe, obtained from 630 kVA with a power factor of 0.8. The system is based on a co-current fixed-bed gasifier fed with sun-dried cocoa pod husks characterised by a lower calorific value of 24 MJ/kg on a dry basis and a moisture content of 10% after drying. The manufacturer’s specific biomass consumption of 1.5 kg/kWh is retained only as a reference for the nominal feedstock. For cocoa pod husks, a CPH-adjusted specific consumption of 1.0 kg/kWh is estimated from the reported syngas yield, syngas calorific value, and conversion efficiencies. The revised sizing yields 180 kg/h per module and approximately 1,310 tonnes/year for the 2.8-module scenario. After auxiliary consumption (2eq/year sequestered, in addition to approximately 835 tCO2eq/year avoided through diesel substitution. The study remains a pre-feasibility assessment and recommends pilot-scale validation before full-scale deployment.