EDOTCO and FloSolar sign deal to explore renewable power for telecom towers

Two companies will examine the scope for using renewable energy to build sustainable digital infrastructure and cut carbon emissions. EDOTCO Bangladesh, the country's leading digital infrastructure service provider, said in a statement on Sunday (November 8) that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with FloSolar Solutions Ltd.

Under the agreement, the two companies will jointly assess the feasibility of building grid-connected renewable energy generation systems to help meet the power needs of EDOTCO's telecommunications infrastructure. Increasing the use of renewable power in EDOTCO's telecom tower operations is the core aim of the partnership, which will diversify the company's energy sources, advance its goal of reducing carbon emissions and improve the long-term efficiency of its digital infrastructure.

Through this agreement, the two companies will examine the possibility of supplying renewable electricity generated from potential solar projects to EDOTCO's operations through the national grid. FloSolar will lead the selection of sites for potential power plants, grid connection and project development. EDOTCO, meanwhile, will help identify suitable sites and assess power demand.

EDOTCO Bangladesh Country Managing Director Al-Batuni Mohammad Saeed Ahmed said the scale of digital infrastructure keeps growing, and how that infrastructure is powered is becoming increasingly important. He said examining the use of renewable energy at scale would add a new dimension to the company's efforts to cut carbon emissions.

He added that the initiative would also help improve the long-term stability of EDOTCO's tower operations. 'We believe the connectivity of the future must be reliable and sustainable,' he said.

Mostafa Azim Kasem Khan, founder and managing director of FloSolar Solutions Ltd, said telecom networks run 24 hours a day, so their power supply is extremely important. He said the memorandum would help EDOTCO and FloSolar build a planned framework for clean, long-term power supply to the network, step by step. The first step will be to implement a project that can be completed successfully.

Under the proposed model, EDOTCO will be able to source renewable energy without any upfront capital investment in power generation infrastructure, while FloSolar will take responsibility for developing and financing potential projects. Subject to feasibility checks and final commercial and regulatory terms, the model should give a clearer long-term picture of energy costs.

According to preliminary estimates, around 130 gigawatt-hours of renewable electricity a year could be generated from every 100 megawatts peak of capacity. That could avoid around 80,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions a year. However, this estimate will depend on the type of the final project, the applicable grid emission factor and the amount of grid electricity replaced.

A large share of the telecom sector's power cost goes into running towers, and those involved say greater use of renewable energy there could bring positive change both to operating costs and environmental impact.

The memorandum is still a framework for early-stage assessment. Only after the feasibility study is complete and commercial and regulatory terms are finalised will the path to implementation open up. Both companies say the move toward sustainable energy will be advanced step by step.