In brief
In Ouedo-Kpossidja, 40 km north of Cotonou, AMAVI has collected and repurposed more than 150,000 liters of used cooking oil into soap and biofuel, according to founder Carmel Djiha. The company works with over 100 restaurants, follows Benin’s 2003 oil‑disposal regulations, and has partnered with China’s Henan Hengyong to scale up biodiesel production by 2030.
Benin's AMAVI has been converting discarded cooking oil into soap and biodiesel, processing more than 150,000 liters since it began operations in 2023, Xinhua reports.
AMAVI collects the waste oil from more than 100 hotel and restaurant operators in Ouedo‑Kpossidja, a locality 40 km north of Cotonou, where it undergoes filtration and settling before being turned into soap or biofuel for power generators and agricultural machinery.
Carmel Djiha, founder of AMAVI, said:
Consuming used cooking oil is harmful to human health and can cause cancer and respiratory problems in the long term.
Since its launch, the company has processed more than 150,000 liters of oil, a figure noted by Djiha, and is actively reducing environmental pollution while exploring renewable energy potential.
Benin’s 2003 legislation prohibits unsecured disposal or discharge of used oil, making AMAVI’s work essential to compliance with national environmental standards and protection of soil and water.
The firm has struck a partnership with China’s Henan Hengyong, which supplies processing equipment and offers technical training for AMAVI’s workforce.
Looking ahead, AMAVI plans to industrialise biodiesel production by 2030, targeting a daily output of more than three tonnes, a move expected to cut greenhouse‑gas emissions and improve public health.
