Orange Deploys Solar Projects across its Africa, ME Sites to Go Net-Zero by 2040

With an aim to reduce its carbon footprint to zero by 2040, Orange has accelerated the deployment of solar projects across its sites in Africa and the Middle East.

The company said that across the entire region, many sites are not connected to the electricity grid and when they are, the quality of the grid often requires alternative backup solutions. To avoid using generators that run on fossil fuel, the company has been putting in place several initiatives such as solar panels.

The company, in several of its subsidiaries as well, has been deploying innovative solar solutions along with batteries.

To reduce its environmental footprint, the Group has been positioning itself in these countries as the biggest deployer of solar panels, with a renewable energy use rate already at over 50 per cent for Orange Guinea, 41 per cent for Orange Madagascar and 40 per cent for Orange Sierra Leone.

These solar panel solutions have also been or will soon be deployed in other African and Middle Eastern countries where the company is present, like Liberia, for instance, where 75 per cent of it’s telecom sites has been equipped with solar panels.

In an aggregate, the company has installed solar panels at its 5,400 telecom sites and saves 55 million liters of fuel per year.

Furthermore, the company has launched 3 solar farms in Jordan to switch to clean and renewable energy helping to reduce its carbon footprint. In 2020, these solar farm projects covered over 65 per cent of Orange Jordan’s energy needs.

Since 2018, the company has successfully reduced its CO2 emissions by 45 kilotons thanks to this solar infrastructure.

Commenting on the development, Alioune Ndiaye, CEO of Orange Middle East and Africa, said “we are proud to be the first company by number of solar panels in 5 countries in Africa and the Middle East. As a stakeholder in the energy transition, Orange has included in its Engage 2025 strategic plan the objective of meeting 50% of the Group’s electricity needs from renewable sources by 2025. We are aiming for net-zero carbon by 2040.”