Energy efficiency is key to the sustainability of African data centres

Africa has one of the fastest-growing internet access rates in the world and it has been estimated that data usage will continue to rise in the next years. To keep the Internet up and running, the number of data centre operators in Africa has significantly increased in recent years. But why are data centres in Africa such an issue that needs to be addressed?

Energy efficiency & Sustainability of African data centres

The sector contributes to global warming and creates environmental issues in a region that cannot afford to suffer the inevitable consequences. If internet usage rates remain at the same levels, further investments in submarine cables and data centres will be encouraged, which will add to the problem.

Without implementing long-term energy solutions the issue cannot be resolved in a timely manner. Access to more affordable and environmentally friendly sources of electricity has now become a critical concern as the number of Data Centre operators in Africa continues to rise.

These facilities require a high level of power availability to avoid downtime, yet many African countries have frequent power outages. Existing Data Centres have relied on diesel-fuelled generators to keep operations running during power outages, a practice that may result in increased carbon emissions in the future.

The CEO of MainOne, Funke Opeke, stated in a recent Oxford Business Group focus report titled “Data Centres in Africa” that power distribution networks are experiencing relatively frequent shortages, but that electricity supply in the region’s national grids is sufficient.

“By strategically locating our Data Centres close to sources of power and partnering with local power distribution companies to build direct connections to the national grid, we ensure high power availability and reduce the utilisation of diesel-fuelled power generation at our facilities”, she said.

MainOne has accelerated the capacity of its Data Centres in key areas such as Nigeria, Ghana, and Côte d’Ivoire, to 5 MW, with services offered to a total of ten nations in West Africa.

MDXi, the company’s data centre business, maintains energy-efficient facilities by optimising airflow, managing operations with sensors and artificial intelligence, and deploying energy-efficient technology. These efforts, when taken together, go a great way towards decreasing carbon emissions and increasing energy efficiency in order to ensure the Data Centres’ long-term viability.

MDXi has started expanding its Lekki data centre in Lagos, Nigeria, intending to increase its 600-rack facility to over 1200 racks by 2023, following the introduction of its Tier III Data Center at Appolonia City in Accra, Ghana earlier this year. Additional funds have been allocated to the expansion of its Data Center in Côte d’Ivoire.

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