UAE telecom firm Dolphin Telecoms has signed a ten-year Energy-as-a-Service (EaaS) agreement with Nigerian clean energy developer Grid Crux Energy Solutions to develop a solar system at Dolphin’s Lagos Cable Landing Station in Lagos, Nigeria.

Under the agreement, Grid Crux will design, finance, install, and operate the system at the cable landing station where the Africa Coast to Europe (ACE) submarine cable will land.

According to reports, the solar project is expected to generate more than 144MWh of power per year, and almost 1.5GWh of power across the lifetime of the agreement.

The companies said that the solar array will operate alongside the cable landing stations’ existing power sources and will reduce the reliance on diesel generation.

“We are focused on three things for Dolphin: reliability, cost reduction and ESG. We look forward to delivering the quality of service Grid Crux is known for and supporting Dolphin on this journey,” said CEO of Grid Crux Energy Solutions, Mojola Ola.

The ACE cable spans around 17,000km (10,563 miles), connecting 18 points across 18 countries, including Benin, France, Gambia, Guinea, Nigeria, Portugal, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Spain, and South Africa.

Dolphin Telecoms operates across Africa and part of the Middle East. Established in 2013, the company operates major regional subsea landing hubs and offices in Lagos, Nigeria; Accra, Ghana; and Dakar, Senegal.