Key points
- MTN Nigeria has entered into a strategic green energy partnership with First WATT Renewable Ltd to power its infrastructure.
- The telecommunications operator will deploy 34 MWp of solar capacity alongside 40 MWh of battery energy storage.
- The green energy initiative will target critical facilities including data centers, switch stations, and cable landing points.
- First WATT will additionally supply renewable infrastructure to support 60-kW electric vehicle charging stations.
- The partnership aims to systematically reduce diesel dependence, cut carbon emissions, and strengthen national network uptime.
Main Story
Telecom giant MTN Nigeria has signed a strategic renewable energy partnership with First WATT Renewable Ltd, a subsidiary of hybrid power specialist WATT Renewable Corp, to transition its critical infrastructure toward clean energy.
The corporate agreement outlines an expansive Energy-as-a-Service model that will see the deployment of 34 MWp of solar generation capacity alongside 40 MWh of battery energy storage systems. The hybrid installation will target selected high-priority MTN operational sites across the country, including data centers, switch facilities, cable landing stations, and major customer service centers.
As a secondary component of the environmental partnership, First WATT Renewable will provide dedicated renewable energy infrastructure to power 60-kW electric vehicle (EV) charging stations across eight designated MTN facilities.
The joint initiative is designed to drastically lower the telecom company’s dependency on diesel generators, reduce operational carbon emissions, support system uptime, and improve overall business continuity across its digital connectivity network. Company executives emphasized that the project directly aligns with the group’s long-term sustainability blueprints as Nigeria’s commercial power and transit landscapes continue to modernize.
The Issues
- Capitalizing on the technical integration of large-scale battery storage units to maintain unbroken network uptime during peak transit periods.
- Managing the logistics of deploying complex hybrid solar infrastructure across multiple geographically decentralized telecom facilities.
- Scaling up local grid capacity to effectively support the newly introduced 60-kW electric vehicle charging stations.
What’s Being Said
- Highlighting the long-term strategic value of the infrastructure upgrade, Tobechukwu Okigbo, Chief Corporate Services and Sustainability Officer at MTN Nigeria, stated: “As Nigeria’s energy and mobility landscape evolves, renewable energy will play an important role in building cleaner and more reliable infrastructure. This partnership supports our efforts to reduce diesel dependence, improve operational efficiency and strengthen the resilience of the systems that power connectivity,”.
What’s Next
- Technical engineering teams from First WATT Renewable will begin site-by-site assessments at designated data centers and switch facilities.
- Procurement officers will finalize delivery timelines for the incoming 34 MWp solar components and battery energy storage hardware.
- Structural designs for the 60-kW electric vehicle charging bays will be drafted for the initial eight telecom installations.
Bottom Line
By partnering with First WATT to deploy 34 MWp of solar power and localized EV charging stations, MTN Nigeria is leveraging an Energy-as-a-Service framework to slash its industrial diesel consumption and insulate its critical data infrastructure from public power volatility.
