Across Kenya, more and more of Safaricom’s base transmission stations are getting the slightly sloping navy-blue glass roofs that are the sign that solar power has been installed. At these sites, there is no longer the roar of generators, a definite sign of a power outage, the unpopular loss of connection to the national grid that is usually called a blackout.

The switch from diesel to solar power is a deliberate move for the company as it seeks to reduce its carbon footprint in efforts to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change.

It also doesn’t hurt that those living near mobile masts now enjoy some peace and quiet as the generators don’t have to roar to life during power outages like they used to, to ensure the towers are running.

The company’s Sustainability Report for 2023 details the advances made in getting more base stations using solar power. From 310 in 2022, Safaricom now has 1,432 solar power base stations. The company has about 5,300 base stations, which means that 23 per cent of them are now using the sun’s light to generate electricity.

Safaricom’s long-term plan is to purchase or generate 50 per cent of its energy needs from renewable sources by installing solar and battery storage for 5,000 sites by 2050. In Ethiopia, the company has 31 sites using solar with a target of 40 per cent sites on solar by 2030.

Stephen Kiptinness, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at Safaricom, said the move to solar is a significant part of the company’s journey towards sustainability and achieving net-zero by 2050.

“It will serve to reduce our emissions, make us more efficient and frankly, it’s even more affordable,” he said.

As the company rolled out the solar installation programme, towers in areas that are off the national electricity grid that fully relied on diesel were given priority because the immediate impact was far more significant than in areas with sufficient power.

The rapid deployment of the base stations, Kiptinness says, shows the company’s commitment to improving sustainability in its operations amid growing concerns about climate change not just in Kenya, but around the world.

The use of solar has not only lowered carbon emissions, but also helped to reduce costs, with the company reporting that costs savings amounted to KSh23,000 at on-grid sites and KSh59,000 at off-grid sites.

At the sites that have solar, 13 per cent have not had any other fuelling done, the company reported.

“By large and far, the largest impact is on the environment. The savings to the environment, I think, is the most significant story more than just the financial benefit or impact on our balance sheet,” said Kiptinness.

A base transmission station comprises the tower and the radio equipment attached to it, and transceivers, with most of the energy used by the radio to transmit and receive mobile phone signals.

While the telecommunication industry plays a significant role in connecting people and digital transformation, it also contributes to climate change through high carbon emissions.

The telecommunication sector only accounts for about two or three percent of the global carbon emissions. It is a small number in comparison to what other industries emit, but it still raises concerns regarding the rising carbon footprint of the industry from the manufacturing processes and equipment used.

Like other electricity consumers in Kenya, Safaricom has suffered the combined effects of the increase in the cost of electricity – 63 per cent over the past year – and the increase in the cost of diesel.

The rapidly increasing energy tariffs were compounded by the increasing diesel fuel prices, the company says in the report, and by the instability in the grid evidenced in power outages, some of which are national.

Energy, security, and availability are critical for Safaricom’s platforms, and the management and security of key energy became a priority in the 2022/23 financial year.

The report states that the three major national power blackouts resulted in a cumulative 24 hours without power, which naturally affected the base transmission stations, specifically knocked out 1,000 sites and affected more than one million subscribers.

“Our response has been to accelerate deployment of solar energy; implement measurement, digitalisation and automation; conduct energy audits and the filing of measurement and verifications reports; together with cost management,” the company said.

Solar now accounts for 22 per cent of Safaricom’s energy mix at monitored connected sites. This has resulted in the avoidance of over 370 tCO2e annually – a highly positive move in our carbon-constrained world.

For telecom towers, embracing solar power offers a sustainable and reliable power solution and ultimately reduces the carbon footprint of the telecom sector.

But now that the towers have been integrated with solar panels which will harness the abundant sunlight and convert it into usable electricity, what happens to the diesel suppliers? Does this mean they no longer have jobs?

“We have suppliers who have been providing diesel to our gensets across different parts of the country. They service them on our behalf, and we pay them. So, you could argue that by moving to solar, we are taking our business from some of our SMEs. But in fact, what we are doing as part of our scope three emissions, perhaps in a direct way, is training them to transform their businesses from supplying diesel to maintenance of solar panels,” says Kiptinness.

The training will see the suppliers get into new business streams that are cleaner and ensure that the work they do not just for the company, but for anybody else is sustainable.

Other efforts to reduce energy costs include modernising the storage at 950 sites to increase efficiency, installing more efficient rectifiers at 278 sites and installing hybrid systems with more than one energy source at 450 sites to encourage battery deep cooling and reduce diesel consumption.