Energy & Sustainability

Given the ongoing worries in many countries about the demands of data centres on water supply, recent news from Google in Malaysia is undoubtedly timely.

A reminder of the continuing dependence on diesel of many African countries as backup fuel for communications infrastructure comes from telecoms regulator ARPCE in the Republic of Congo (Congo-Brazzaville).

Philippine operator Globe Telecom has switched more than 1,000 cell sites to renewable energy as of August 2026, as it seeks to reduce emissions and improve network resilience during power outages and severe weather.

Vodafone Ukraine says it has launched the second phase of its plan to install solar power at 500 of its base station sites across Ukraine, after having completed the first phase this past June.

Crusoe, a company that builds AI-optimised data centres harnessing large-scale energy sources, has announced a strategic partnership with Paraguayan energy and infrastructure developer Araico to build high-performance AI compute infrastructure powered by the Itaipú Hydroelectric Dam.

Malaysian 5G operator U Mobile announced on Monday it has signed an MoU with renewable energy developer HLGY Energy to develop 5G-connected smart solar farm solutions in Malaysia.

Digital infrastructure services provider Edotco Bangladesh, has partnered with Tiger New Energy, a pioneer in sustainable transportation, to give used telecom batteries a second life by repurposing them into Instant Power Supply (IPS) systems, providing backup power when the main utility grid fails.

Battery energy storage system (BESS) solutions are again in the news following a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between a leading name on the field and Indus Towers, one of India’s leading telecom infrastructure companies.

Malaysian 5G operator U Mobile and ZTE said on Tuesday they have completed a proof-of-concept (PoC) of a portable 5G site powered entirely by green energy that promises a faster, more sustainable approach to connecting remote and underserved areas.

Pakistan data network provider Zong has partnered with local company ISP Environmental Solutions (ISPES) to launch PecoDrop, described as first-of-their-kind smart waste management stations.

Mobile operators in Asia Pacific are making progress on climate targets, but limited access to renewable electricity is slowing efforts to cut emissions, particularly in emerging markets, according to the GSMA.

Can AI boost sustainability and combat climate change? A recent memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Japanese technology giant NEC Corporation implies that it can.

Philippine telecommunications operator PLDT, its mobile subsidiary Smart Communications, and technology giant NTT DoCoMo say they have conducted a green base station demonstration in the Philippines using renewable energy and DoCoMo's weather-forecast-linked lithium-ion battery control technology.

Key ASIC, a Malaysian semiconductor and energy-efficient ASIC design specialist, and CT Vision, an investment and green technology group, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for a partnership to develop a large-scale, fully integrated green AI data centre (AIDC) complex in Malaysia.

A new collaboration aims to explore a dedicated on-site power generation solution of up to 1.5 gigawatts (GW) for a new data centre development in Selangor, within the Greater Kuala Lumpur region in Malaysia.

Orange Slovensko, one of the largest telecommunications operators in Slovakia, and Enery, a leading independent power producer in Central and Eastern Europe, have signed a ten-year physical power purchase agreement (PPA) linked to the supply of solar energy.

A green technology company called Envision, headquartered in Shanghai, has reportedly commissioned a 2GW campus – the Galaxy Campus – in Ulanqab, Inner Mongolia. It will, the company says, be powered directly by renewable energy.

Emitel, which says it delivers digital services and solutions powered by infrastructure, technology and data, has won a contract to build an intelligent street lighting control system for Warsaw.

Sabesp, the water and sanitation company of the State of São Paulo, Brazil, has announced the deployment, with operator Vivo, of what is described as the world's largest Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity project for smart water management.

At a time when data centre development seems to promise jobs, investment and technological advances for many developing nations, many governments and companies are also having to deal with the often adverse public perceptions of such development on water and power.

Operator MTN South Africa and integrated information and communication technology solutions provider ZTE Corporation say they have advanced the commercial validation of ZTE AIR RAN EnergyTurbo, an AI-native closed-loop energy intelligence solution.

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says it signed an MoU with the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) on Friday to deploy renewable energy for telecom infrastructure in Nigeria to bring down costs and boost reliability.

Zimbabwean infrastructure development and management firm Econet InfraCo revealed on Monday that it has been deploying solar-power systems and AI-powered fuel management solutions as well as new towers in its first quarter as a listed company.

Terra Innovatum Global, a developer of micro-modular nuclear reactors, has announced that Latin American media group Waiken ILW has chosen its SOLO micro-modular reactor platform for an initial deployment supporting the data centre infrastructure of two broadcasting and streaming services providers.

Google has signed a deal with agroforestry carbon removal firm Thryve.Earth to purchase 260,000 tons of carbon removal credits from a reforestation project in Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Operator Vodafone says is trialling energy-saving 5G technology in Turkey, using new radio antennas and advanced engineering designed to boost performance and resilience while saving power.

Airtel Africa reduced diesel consumption by 9.1 million litres during its 2025/26 financial year as the operator accelerated efforts to lower emissions and improve the sustainability of its network operations.

Sustainable development company First WATT Renewable and operator MTN Nigeria have announced a strategic renewable energy infrastructure partnership designed to reduce diesel dependence and improve operational resilience at MTN’s critical facilities.

Voltalia, an international renewable energy company headquartered in France, has announced a deal that could play an important part in Brazil's efforts to sustainably power its data centres.

DayOne Data Centers Limited, a Singapore-headquartered global digital infrastructure platform, signed late last week what it calls landmark renewable energy supply agreements in the Malaysian market with local companies TNB Renewables and TNB Power Generation.

BDx Data Centers (BDx), a leading owner and operator of data centres in Asia, has announced what it calls “a series of transformative power milestones” in a strategic partnership with electrical utility PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN).

Kyivstar announced on Tuesday it has completed its acquisition of six solar power plants in the Lviv region of Ukraine in a deal worth UAH3.6 billion (US$80.8 million) as it continues to chase renewable energy as a new revenue stream.