South Africa’s mobile network giant MTN South Africa has embarked on a journey to unlock off-grid energy alternatives in its quest to launch its first series of projects in an integrated wind and solar renewable energy.
This is part of the cellular company’s roll-out of these projects as part of its Net Zero efforts of hybrid renewable energy.
The trial, which is set to take six-months, will be conducted in Worcester in the Eastern Cape, and then head to the Eastern Cape for the second project.
The company said on Thursday it aimed to implement its strategy based on avoiding using complicated masts and towers, and the windmills used would be installed at various levels of a cell tower to harness more energy.
With its four-phase green energy programme, MTN South Africa stated that it had planned inclusive on-site renewable deployment, off-site renewable
power-purchase agreements, and driving energy efficiencies in MTN buildings and technical infrastructure.
The company said the renewable energy would also be powered to increase power security per site based on the effects of loadshedding by using hybrid, wind, solar photovoltaic panels and battery arrays.
“A stand-out feature of this project is the seamless integration with MTN South Africa’s telecommunications equipment to provide hybrid renewable energy generation for base stations and other asset classes with low workload.
“This includes energy-efficient lighting replacement and the decommissioning and removal of legacy high-energy redundant hardware. Further to the energy efficiencies at the technical buildings, the use of gas generators and a concentrated solar plant provide
additional energy security while emitting fewer carbon emissions,” said MTN.
Based on its Net Zero initiative, MTN South Africa stated it had directed its efforts on decreasing GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions across its footprint through enhancing operational efficiencies while extending the life cycle of network equipment and reducing energy use. Its quest is aimed at investing in
renewable energy sources.
The company said the standout feature of the project was a seamless integration based on its telecommunications equipment to provide hybrid energy generation for base trans-ceiver station sites and other asset classes with a low workload.
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