MTN SA has revealed that it is currently working on becoming a standalone Independent Power Producer (IPP) by harnessing the power of multiple generation technologies that are going to include additional solar, gas and battery energy systems, in one plant at its head office in Fairlands, Johannesburg.
The telecoms company said in a statement that the will be a first in South Africa as it will be consisting of five different generation technologies being housed in one plant, with a full load of 4.5MW during load-shedding. Its head office hybrid facility currently has a 2MW gas trigeneration system, a 330kW concentrating solar power plant and a fleet of backup diesel generators.
The goal is to add a 4MW Grid Tie Solar System (5MWp) as well as a 2MW/6MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) to the existing plant, then phase two of the project will further increase solar and battery energy, with the potential opportunity to feed energy back to the power grid. In turn, this will drastically reduce the company’s carbon emissions footprint.
The aim is for MTN to align with the Paris Agreement scenario of limiting the global temperature rise to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. It has set out to achieve net zero emissions by 2040, 10 years earlier than the objective set by the GSMA global telecoms industry body. The company says it will be able to go off the grid and help accelerate SA’s move to a better future by embracing clean embedded generation technology.
MTN is set to assist the City of Johannesburg with the generation of power during peak periods and help, in some measure, alleviate SA’s energy crunch as an IPP.
MTN SA CEO, Charles Molapisi said the company is pioneering embedded generation technology and making swift progress. Everything is on track for them to soon become an IPP in their own right, which will allow them to better manage their energy when load-shedding strikes.
“Once completed, our grid dependency will be significantly reduced. When load-shedding starts, the facility will disconnect from the City Power grid and multiple non-interruptible power supplies will power essential services. This provides time for the diesel generators to start and power each building in the facility. When the system is stable, a controller will engage switch gear to energise a medium-voltage (11KV) distribution network.” – he added.
Molapisi also mentioned that following this, the 2MW gas engines in the trigeneration plant will be energised, and that will allow the diesel generation to be reduced, supported by the 2MW BESS. In the day, the solar plant is meant to also assist, further reducing dependency on the diesel generators and BESS.
During normal daily operation, the solar and BESS system will be reducing the amount of energy required from City Power during daytime and peak demand periods.
In conclusion, Molapisi said: “With climate change posing an immediate threat to all our futures, MTN is taking action to harness technology and innovation to do the right thing and accelerate change. Low-carbon and carbon-zero approaches will ensure we achieve our climate goals, while ensuring we leave a country that future generations can be proud of.”
