Genesis Capital announced on Thursday, April 16, the closing of the green bond issue of Poro Power 1 S.A., for an amount of 42.65 billion CFA francs, equivalent to 65 million euros, on the UMOA financial market. According to the investment bank, this is the first green bond issue in the energy sector in this area. The operation, structured as a green-labeled “project bond,” was fully subscribed by regional investors.
Poro Power 1 S.A. is a project led by Ivorian entrepreneurs Jean Marc Aïé Yapi and Livane Bouedy, with the support of Côte d’Ivoire Solar I GmbH, who contributed equity and project development. According to the statement, nearly 30 million euros have already been raised in equity, in addition to this bond issuance.
The funds are intended to finance the construction and operation of a private 66-megawatt peak solar power plant in Korhogo, in northern Côte d’Ivoire. The project aims to have an average production of 130 GWh per year. According to the promoters, this infrastructure will contribute to strengthening national electrical capacity, increasing the share of renewable energies in the energy mix, supplying an additional 400,000 households, and avoiding 70,000 tons of CO₂ emissions per year.
The project is based on an agreement with the State of Côte d’Ivoire, including a 25-year “take-or-pay” power purchase agreement. Genesis Capital specifies that the operation was structured at a fixed rate of 8.75% over a 15-year maturity, in line with international project financing standards, with a set of securities and contractual protections to secure investors.
The issuance received an A- rating from Bloomfield Investment Corporation. It also benefited from a Second Party Opinion from Morningstar Sustainalytics, validating its alignment with the Green Bond Principles of the ICMA and the circulars of the AMF-UMOA, according to Genesis Capital.
MAC African SGI acted as arranger and lead manager of the operation. The Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), presented as a reference investor and co-arranger, provided a firm subscription of 43 million euros. The statement emphasizes that this participation played a catalytic role in mobilizing local institutional investors.
For Genesis Capital, this transaction represents a pioneering operation in several respects: the first infrastructure project financing through a public call for savings on the UMOA market, the first direct participation of the AFC in this financial market, and the first green bond issuance by a private operator in the energy sector in the region.
