How data centres can ensure high power supply – MainOne

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Telecommunication service provider, MainOne, Funke Opeke has called for strategic location of data centres close to power sources and partnering with power distribution companies to build direct connections to the national grid. In a recently published focus report by Oxford Business Group titled ‘Data Centres in Africa’, Opeke said […]

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Telecommunication service provider, MainOne, Funke Opeke has called for strategic location of data centres close to power sources and partnering with power distribution companies to build direct connections to the national grid.

In a recently published focus report by Oxford Business Group titled ‘Data Centres in Africa’, Opeke said power distribution networks are facing frequent shortages, while there is an adequate supply of electricity in the region’s national grids.

She said locating data centres close to power sources will ensure high power availability and reduce the utilisation of diesel-fuelled power generation at facilities.

She stressed that access to affordable, reliable and environmentally sustainable sources of electricity is a pressing issue for the growing number of Data Centre operators across Africa. 

“These facilities need to ensure a high availability of power to mitigate downtime, but many African countries face frequent power outages while existing data centres have relied on diesel-fuelled generators to sustain operations during power outages,” Opeke noted.