ZIMBABWE – Liquid Telecommunications Ltd, Africa’s biggest fibre-network company, has added a solar plant at its East Africa data centre to cut operational costs.
The fibre network company’s data centre has been relying on power generator that was built by Distributed Power Africa (DPA), a subsidiary of the Econet Global Ltd group controlled by Zimbabwean businessman Strive Masiyiwa.
The installation of the solar power panels will reduce power expenditure by about a third and help reduce Liquid’s carbon footprint, DPA chief executive officer Norman Moyo said in an interview.
In sub-Saharan Africa, “businesses are increasingly interested in affordable and reliable energy,” said Moyo.
“We also believe energy to be a fundamental pillar in supporting Africa’s economic development” he added.
Many parts of Africa struggle with reliable electricity supply, prompting energy-intensive businesses such as data-centre operators to seek alternative sources.
DPA also offers batteries made by Tesla Inc and uses one itself to power the head office in Zimbabwe.
It is worth noting that solar mini-grids are also gaining traction in many African countries.
It is estimated that between 5,500 and 17,000 new solar mini grids could be built by 2026 Africa.
Local and isolated networks have also started to gain momentum in the last 5 to 10 years.
In cases where the population is dense enough, they can offer a similar quality of service than grid extension as well as a lower cost.
Solar power also represent the least-cost option for 30% of the non-connected African population.
The growth of this this power segment is not limited by its potential or by companies’ and countries’ willingness to develop those systems but rather by technical and financial issues.
The business model for privately operated mini-grids has not been proven yet and most of the projects rely on national or international subsidies.
They are therefore strongly impacted by political instability and international programs.
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