African operator helps pioneer use of biofuel as power supply

South Africa’s MTN Group, the GSM Association and Ericsson have teamed up to establish biofuels as an alternative source of power for wireless networks in the developing world. The three organisations have set up a pioneering project in Nigeria to demonstrate the potential of biofuels to replace diesel as a source of power for mobile base stations located beyond the reach of the electricity grid.
In a pilot project, supported by expertise and funding from the GSMA’s Development Fund, Ericsson and MTN are setting up a pilot biodiesel-powered base station solution in Lagos and will later deploy biodiesel-fuelled base stations in rural regions of south eastern and south western Nigeria. The three organisations are setting up a supply chain designed to benefit the local population by sourcing a variety of locally produced crops and processing them into biofuel. Groundnuts, pumpkin seeds, jatropha and palm oil will be used in the initial pilot tests.

ITP