In brief
AMAVI, a Benin-based firm, has processed over 150,000 litres of used cooking oil into soap and biofuel since 2023, working with more than 100 restaurants and a Chinese partner. The initiative aligns with national law designed to curb oil pollution and aims to produce over three tonnes of biodiesel daily by 2030. By turning waste into renewable products, the company seeks to improve public health and lower greenhouse‑gas emissions.
On Nov. 1, 2026, Xinhua reported that AMAVI in Benin is turning discarded cooking oil into soap and biofuel, a move that could slash environmental pollution and supply renewable energy for local power generators and agricultural machinery.
The company operates in Ouedo‑Kpossidja, a locality about 40 km north of Cotonou, and has built a collection and processing network that draws oil from more than one hundred hotel and restaurant operators. By removing water and solids through filtration and settling, AMAVI converts the waste into a dual stream of products: one stream is refined into soap, while the other undergoes catalytic processing to become biodiesel that can power generators and farming equipment.
Carmel Djiha, founder of AMAVI
“Consuming used cooking oil is harmful to human health and can cause cancer and respiratory problems in the long term,”
This quotation underscores the health risks of improper disposal, which can contaminate soil, surface water, groundwater and sewage systems. Benin’s legislation, enacted in 2003, prohibits the disposal or discharge of used oil in any location where it could pollute the environment, including soil and water bodies. It also bans the unauthorized burning of used oil, a practice that can release harmful particulates into the air.
Since launching operations in 2023, AMAVI has reclaimed and recycled more than 150,000 litres of used cooking oil, according to Djiha. The revenue from soap sales and biodiesel supply has helped the company expand its infrastructure and staff training programs. The firm’s approach also provides an alternative pathway for waste‑oil businesses that would otherwise face costly disposal or transport to distant depollution facilities.
AMAVI’s progress has attracted international support. The company signed a partnership agreement with China’s Henan Hengyong, which supplies oil‑processing equipment and delivers technical training to AMAVI employees. The collaboration ensures that the conversion process meets global quality standards and reduces production costs, making the biodiesel competitive with fossil fuels in the local market.
Looking ahead, AMAVI targets an industrial scale of biodiesel production by 2030, with a goal of producing more than three tonnes per day. Djiha said the initiative would strengthen the company’s contribution to environmental protection and public health while helping reduce greenhouse‑gas emissions. The projected output would provide a renewable fuel source for Benin’s power generators and agricultural machinery, replacing diesel and lowering the carbon footprint of these sectors.
The AMAVI model demonstrates how a local company can repurpose a by‑product of the hospitality industry into renewable energy and consumer goods. By reducing the volume of oil that ultimately enters landfills, surface water, and the atmosphere, the initiative mitigates pollution, protects aquatic ecosystems, and contributes to climate‑change mitigation. The partnership with a Chinese firm further illustrates the potential for cross‑border technology transfer to accelerate sustainable practices in West Africa. As Benin moves toward its 2030 biodiesel goal, AMAVI’s operations could serve as a template for similar projects across the region, showcasing how waste valorisation can align economic, environmental, and public‑health objectives.