Telecommunications giant MTN has kicked off the first series of its Net Zero projects in a six-month plan to unlock off-grid, clean and reliable energy alternatives.

The first series of projects falling within the group’s integrated wind and solar renewable energy generation rollout is a small-scale field trial in Worcester, in the Western Cape, followed by a series of projects in the Eastern Cape, with completion targeted for the third quarter of the year.

“MTN continues to harness best-in-breed technologies to ensure we drive sustainable solutions across our network. Innovation in generating green energy is critical in achieving MTN Net Zero goals as we move towards fulfilment of our Ambition 2025 strategy,” says MTN South Africa (MTN SA) CEO Charles Molapisi.

Hybrid renewable energy systems provide green energy to power assets sustainably, reducing reliance on unstable grids and the carbon-emitting fuels that are driving global warming.

According to Molapisi, the solution avoids the need to work with complicated masts, guy wires or towers and the windmills being used can be installed at various levels of a cell tower to harness more wind energy.

The project seamlessly integrates with its telecommunication equipment to provide hybrid renewable energy generation for base transceiver station sites and other asset classes with low workload.

“By substituting fossil fuel-fed run time with alternative energy, a further benefit is that there will be a reduction in the amount of diesel burnt per site by reducing generator run hours. It also increases power security per site, mitigating the effects of loadshedding in line with MTN’s plans to bolster network resilience, with properly sized hybrid, wind, solar photovoltaic panels and battery arrays,” he explains.

MTN SA is also exploring the feasibility of wind generation and the probability of the various required proof of concept projects.

“There will be no interference with communication equipment, and these systems are modularly designed based on the power requirement at any given time.”

This emerges as MTN sets out to achieve net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2040, 10 years earlier than the sector pathway as set out by global telecommunications industry body GSMA.

“As part of our commitment to protect the planet, we achieved a 13.9% reduction in absolute Scope 1 and 2 emissions in 2022, excluding MTN SA, against a 2022 reduction target of 3.5% reductions. Including South Africa, the group achieved a 9.85% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 owing to the challenges associated with loadshedding in MTN SA.”

MTN SA is making strides in the rollout of a four-phase green energy programme. Planned initiatives include onsite renewable deployment, off-site renewable power purchase agreements and driving energy efficiencies at technical buildings, corporate buildings and technical infrastructure.

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.

Under Project Zero, MTN SA is concentrating its efforts on decreasing GHG emissions across its footprint and in so doing, enhancing operational efficiencies, extending the lifecycle of network equipment, reducing energy use and investing in renewable energy sources.

“MTN is firmly on track to deliver broad, deep-rooted and beneficial alternative energy projects that make a difference to the planet, while ensuring we deliver network stability and excellence to our customers. Everyone deserves the benefit of a modern, connected life, and innovation cannot stop as we work to deliver against this promise,” concludes Molapisi.