Vodacom reaches 100% renewable electricity goal ahead of World Environment Day

Vodacom Group now procures 100% of its purchased electricity from renewable sources, making it the first multi-national telecoms operator on the continent to reach this goal. This major milestone reflects Vodacom's efforts to decarbonise, as part of its purpose-led commitment to protect the planet.

To meet this target, Vodacom has several on-site renewable power installations, procures electricity through renewable power purchase agreements (PPAs), and purchases *renewable energy certificates (RECs). Vodacom's total energy consumption reached 2 076 GWh in the past financial year, of which 1 275 GWh was purchased electricity. Of this, 906 GWh came from grid electricity, not own generation nor covered by PPAs. To mitigate the associated environmental impact, Vodacom acquired RECs to cover this grid electricity for its operations across South Africa, Egypt, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Mozambique and Lesotho.

"We are extremely proud of this achievement as we continue to reduce our environmental impact and improve the sustainability of our operations across Africa. Our 100% renewable electricity procurement marks a significant milestone in our ongoing strategy to reach net-zero GHG emissions in our direct operations by 2035. It reflects our determination to protect the planet while empowering communities with cleaner, greener connectivity," says Dejan Kastelic, Chief Technology Officer.

The ICT sector is responsible for an estimated 1.5% to 4% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, according to the World Bank. This is roughly equivalent to the footprints of commercial aviation or maritime transport sectors. Unless the industry transitions to renewable energy sources, emissions will continue to rise as data traffic volumes increase driven by increased internet usage and the proliferation of artificial intelligence technologies.

To support this transition, Vodacom partners with the public sector to implement innovative renewable energy solutions. This includes working closely with Eskom to develop the virtual wheeling mechanism in South Africa and, with its subsidiary, Mezzanine, developing the technology platform to enable it. Virtual wheeling allows for electricity supply to our local operations to originate from renewable independent power producers, such as wind and solar farms. Vodacom South Africa will be the first to procure renewable electricity through virtual wheeling in the last quarter of 2025.

In other parts of the continent, Vodacom is collaborating with government authorities to encourage investment in renewable energy infrastructure and the growth of independent power producers.  Through collaborations like this, Vodafone Egypt purchased 76% of its electricity consumption through a renewable PPA with the government.

While Vodacom's primary energy source is grid-supplied electricity, there can be limited grid availability in certain countries, resulting in reliance on diesel generators and batteries for power. In the short term, Vodacom prioritises batteries over diesel generators as these impede its decarbonisation efforts. Longer term, the network operator is exploring diesel alternatives, including connecting off-grid sites to the grid, deploying wind and solar, where suitable and exploring newer technologies, including microturbines and hydrogen fuel cells.

In Egypt, for example, the company has trialled a successful "solar flower" solution to overcome the challenge of installing solar power at base station sites due to space constraints. While the site still depends primarily on diesel, the circular flower design, made up of 12 solar panels, helps to maximise renewable energy deployment on available tower space, producing 6kWp and reducing diesel consumption.

"The tech sector holds both the responsibility and the capability to lead efforts in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, particularly in regions like Africa, where the impacts of climate change are already deeply felt. At Vodacom, we are committed to setting the standard in energy efficiency and accelerating the transition to renewable energy. This commitment is reflected in numerous initiatives, including becoming the first operator to certify all African operations under ISO 50001 standards and setting the earliest net-zero ambition among Telco's on the continent. As we continue to live our purpose to connect everyone to a better future, our net-zero goal is a necessity to build a sustainable, inclusive digital society while safeguarding our planet for generations to come," concludes Kastelic.