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Nairobi, Kenya — <\/span>linked to rising diesel prices Iran war<\/a> Adding urgency to change already underway Africa<\/a> Switching cellphone towers from fossil fuels to solar power.<\/p>\n Diesel, which powers most of Africa’s approximately 500,000 telecommunications towers, has become more expensive in recent weeks and sometimes harder to secure as global fuel markets have tightened following the conflict. Many African countries that rely heavily on imported fuel have reported price increases and supply disruptions, prompting governments and companies to reevaluate energy strategies.<\/p>\n The transition to clean energy for towers providing cellphone service comes before the latest price shock, driven by cost pressures and climate goals<\/a>. But the war in the Middle East has intensified the push. <\/p>\n \u201cDiesel has always been a major cost, but recent global events have made it even more unsustainable,\u201d said Lande Abudu, senior energy specialist for Africa at GSMA, the global industry body representing mobile operators. \u201cThis strengthens the case for solar and hybrid solutions.\u201d<\/p>\n Across the continent, mobile network operators are increasingly adopting hybrid systems solar panels<\/a>Battery storage and limited diesel backup. Some are aiming to have sites powered entirely by solar power over time, especially in rural and off-grid areas where expanding the electricity grid is expensive. <\/p>\n Cellphone towers in Africa are traditionally powered by diesel generators, with large industrial units often requiring operators to refuel manually. In contrast, solar-powered towers rely on sunlight, use solar panels to generate electricity and use battery systems to store energy for continuous operation.<\/p>\n Globally, most telecommunication towers in developed markets such as the United States and India are connected to the power grid, with diesel generators used primarily as backup during outages. In parts of Southeast Asia, including Indonesia, operators have also relied heavily on diesel, but are now making similar transitions to renewable energy.<\/p>\n Last month, US-owned Atlas Tower Kenya said it was investing $52.5 million to build 300 new, solar-powered telecommunications towers to serve major operators including Safaricom, Airtel and Telkom Kenya. 82% of the company’s 500 towers are currently powered by solar power.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a significant change, but there is still a long way to go,\u201d Abudu said.<\/p>\n The economics are becoming increasingly compelling. Energy accounts for up to 60% of the operating costs of telecommunications towers in off-grid areas. Diesel, once the default solution, has become more expensive and harder to manage, with challenges ranging from transportation logistics to theft and maintenance.<\/p>\n Vodacom Africa said its energy costs were set to rise 5% from the previous year to $300 million in 2025, citing higher electricity tariffs and fuel prices. The company operates in Egypt, South Africa, Congo, Mozambique, Tanzania and Lesotho, and through Safaricom owns subsidiaries in Kenya and Ethiopia. Safaricom raised $153.6 million in green bonds last year to help convert its towers to solar power.<\/p>\n In countries like Nigeria, cost pressures have changed rapidly. The removal of fuel subsidies in 2023 caused diesel prices to rise, rising by 200% within a year, and operators now spend $400 million annually to keep the towers running. Recent global price increases linked to the Iran conflict have added further pressure.<\/p>\n Companies are responding by accelerating clean energy deployment. Companies such as iSAT Africa are building solar-powered towers supported by new financing models, while major operators including Orange, Vodacom, MTN Group and Airtel Africa are expanding solar and hybrid systems across their networks.<\/p>\n \u201cBy replacing diesel-powered telecom towers with entirely solar-powered infrastructure, we hope to reduce the carbon emissions associated with mobile network operations,\u201d ISAT Africa CEO Rakesh Kukreja said in March when announcing new funding for clean energy tower projects.<\/p>\n Initial results show significant savings. MTN operations in South Sudan have cut fuel spend by almost 30% after adopting solar power, while Airtel Africa, working with Engie Energy Access, has reduced diesel use by more than half at sites in Zambia and Congo.<\/p>\n Vodacom Africa said in its 2025 sustainability report that connecting towers to the national grid and installing more solar power and batteries were key parts of its strategy to replace diesel generators.<\/p>\n The benefits far outweigh the costs. Solar-powered towers are less sensitive to fuel shortages and generator failures, improving reliability in underserved areas. In northern Nigeria and parts of Congo, cellular outages linked to fuel shortages ahead of the war have disrupted services ranging from mobile money transactions to emergency communications.<\/p>\n According to the GSMA, replacing diesel generators with solar power could help bridge Africa’s connectivity gap, where about 65% of people who could benefit from mobile internet remain unconnected.<\/p>\n \u201cRenewable energy systems enable faster and more cost-effective expansion into disadvantaged areas,\u201d Abudu said.<\/p>\n In rural Kenya, residents of some off-grid communities say solar-powered towers have improved service stability, allowing more consistent access to mobile banking, education and health information.<\/p>\n \u201cBefore this telecommunications mast was installed, we struggled to process mobile money payments or even call for help during medical emergencies,\u201d said Martin Imwatok, a teacher in northern Kenya. \u201cWhen these towers close, business and life come to a halt.\u201d<\/p>\n Africa’s reliance on diesel is more pronounced due to weak grid infrastructure, making this transition more challenging and potentially more transformative. However, regulators say the change could have broader benefits. In Nigeria, the telecommunications regulator has encouraged operators to integrate towers into solar minigrids that can also supply nearby communities.<\/p>\n “These telecom towers can act as anchor clients for solar minigrids, supplying power not only to the towers but also to nearby homes, businesses and public services,” said Aminu Maida, head of the Nigerian Communications Commission.<\/p>\n As fuel prices remain uncertain amid global tensions, industry experts say the case for clean energy will only get stronger.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not just about climate anymore,\u201d Abudu said. \u201cIt’s about flexibility, cost and keeping Africa connected.\u201d<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from several private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. find api standards<\/a> A list of philanthropies to work with, supporters and funded coverage areas ap.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Nairobi, Kenya — linked to rising diesel prices Iran war Adding urgency to change already underway Africa Switching cellphone towers from fossil fuels to solar power. Diesel, which powers most of Africa’s approximately 500,000 telecommunications towers, has become more expensive in recent weeks and sometimes harder to secure as global fuel markets have tightened following<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":114609,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[56],"tags":[2571,27667,19309,3801,7157,851,416,1842,4188],"class_list":{"0":"post-114608","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-bible-news","8":"tag-africas","9":"tag-cellphone","10":"tag-converted","11":"tag-costs","12":"tag-diesel","13":"tag-power","14":"tag-rise","15":"tag-solar","16":"tag-towers"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/christiancorner.us\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/114608","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/christiancorner.us\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/christiancorner.us\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christiancorner.us\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christiancorner.us\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=114608"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/christiancorner.us\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/114608\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":114610,"href":"https:\/\/christiancorner.us\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/114608\/revisions\/114610"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christiancorner.us\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/114609"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/christiancorner.us\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=114608"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christiancorner.us\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=114608"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christiancorner.us\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=114608"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}