In an effort to increase savings through the development of a self-sustaining power supply initiative, a team of engineers at MTN’s Network Group came up with a unique solution – a 2 megawatt (MW), methane-driven ‘tri-generation’ plant, which is the first of its kind on the African continent.
The company’s ‘Greening 14th Avenue’ project saw the launch of the plant on 2 August at its Fairlands campus. The aim of the power plant is to ensure that MTN’s expansion and growth plans are not hampered by energy shortages.
By generating its own power, the company is now in a position to plan its own grid to roll out its services to areas where they are needed. As a spin-off, the plant will produce an estimated 800 kW of cooling for free, resulting in further savings in the building’s air conditioning processes.
Using the tri-generation plant, methane gas is burned in the machines and the energy created by the gas-fired engines generates heat and electricity. The waste heat from the engines will be used in the absorption chiller to cool the water. This chilled water is then supplied to the air handling units that supply the cooled air for the electronic equipment housed in the new building – the test switch centre on the ground floor and the data centre on the first floor.
The water from the six huge cooling towers is used to cool down the heat from the engines. As it is not used in the absorption cycle, this ‘grey water’ is then recycled through the Phase 1 and Phase 2 buildings on the MTN campus to flush the toilets. All the plant’s processes have been designed to result in savings in the water and electricity costs. And, once it is running at 100% capacity, the plant’s load excess will power and cool the campus.
Another positive and unexpected spin-off for MTN with the development of the tri-generation plant is the resultant reduction in its carbon footprint. “We have been able to register this initiative as a carbon credit project with the UN-based project to offset the costs associated with purchasing the gas and the tri-generation plant,” stated Karel Pienaar, managing director of MTN SA. “We are seen as ‘green’ through the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions associated with electricity consumption and the consequent reduction in the generation of coal-based electricity and its associated environmental consequences. So, we earn credits while generating our own electricity and recycling the water. It is a win-win situation.”
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