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renewable energy dominant microgrids can data centres expect to significantly reduce their emissions profiles . In short , the question is whether the industry is willing to leapfrog itself to adopting new sustainable designs , technologies , energy sources and practices .
Demand drivers
Power and connectivity can mean different things in different markets of Africa .
Of Africa ’ s 1.2 billon population , roughly half don ’ t have a dependable networked electricity supply . In Sub-Saharan Africa , two-thirds of people have no regular access to electricity .
This is being changed through the development of off-grid power systems . Much of this off-grid solar power is largely used to charge the more than 1 billion mobile phone handsets as people rush to get connected and online .
According to the GSMA The Mobile Economy Sub-Saharan Africa 2022 report there will be 613 million unique mobile subscribers by 2025 , covering 50 % of the population ( of which 41 million will be 5G connections ). Mobile is forecast to generate US $ 154bn in economic value by 2025 . Nigeria boasted 199.6 million mobile connections as of March 2022 , according to the West African country ’ s Communication Commission ( NCC ).
GSMA Intelligence data also showed that there were 108.6 million cellular mobile connections in South Africa at the start of 2022 , equivalent to 179.8 % of its population . Egypt ’ s 98.29 million mobile users during the first quarter of 2022 , represents 93.4 % of its population . Yet currently in central Africa , 39 % of the population lives outside a mobile broadband coverage area – this figure is 16 % for West Africa , 13 % for East Africa and 12 % in Southern Africa . In all , it is estimated that 43 % of the entire African population is still without smartphone access .
More than a distributed and rural data story
Africa is not just a story of remoteness and rurality . Africa ’ s 10 largest cities amount to 55 million people living in the continent ’ s biggest metros . Building and running the data centres required to support the businesses in these metros and how they serve a growing and ever more connected population means facing up to new challenges from dealing with unreliable grids to finding sustainable energy .
The data centre sector should look to the ‘ leapfrogging ’ efforts of the power and mobile sectors of off-grid power and network rollouts . In the power supply areas , industrial microgrids are being built around a combination of renewable sources ( where available ) and on-site engine-based power generation . Power companies are onto the huge opportunities for leapfrogging outside the major cities – avoiding vast and costly fixed power line investment by jumping straight to solar and wind for power generation and building community , rural and networked microgrids .
Leapfrogging is not a panacea , but it shows that in power and telecoms , new thinking in supply and demand is facilitating rapid adoption and expansion .
New designs and operations
This is one reason among many that points to new data centre development in Africa requiring new thinking , new designs and new ways of operating .
The use of microgrids and battery energy storage systems ( BESS ) can enable data centres to operate independently of the main utility grid or use a combination of grid and renewable power sources . The BESS stores excess renewable energy generated during times of low demand and releases it when needed . In doing so , it overcomes intermittency issues to extend the usefulness of renewable power and reduce reliance on nonrenewable sources .
The African battery market and value chain could lead to the generation of thousands of jobs across the continent and a market revenue estimated to reach US $ 1 billion by 2030 . This market is driven by behind-themeter ( BTM ) battery installations including UPS , telecom , rooftop solar , solar home lighting systems and microgrids .
Beyond the direct resources that data centres can provide through district heating and cooling schemes from combined heat and power ( CHP ) systems within the facilities and feeding power to microgrids , data centres can also play a role in supporting social initiatives beyond their core operations .
In this respect , data centre developments hold the potential to be a catalyst for a host of power and connectivity investments . They can partner with sustainable , affordable housing developers . There are also many opportunities for partnering with local organisations to provide digital literacy programmes or supporting education and healthcare services in underserved areas , helping to bridge the digital divide and enhance overall societal well-being .
Africa is an emerging powerhouse that nationally and regionally will decide its own digital infrastructure future according to its resources . For engineers and designers , the game starts sidestepping traditional thinking and leapfrogging to a sustainable future . �
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