iColo, a Digital Realty Company, announced today a major expansion of its renewable energy initiatives with the installation of solar panels at its facilities in Kenya. This move enhances the green credentials of the connectivity providers at iColo’s data centers. The company has successfully added and commissioned over 650 kilowatts (kW) of new solar installations across its two data center campuses in Nairobi and Mombasa.
Of the new solar capacity, over 450kW has been installed at iColo’s NBO campus in Nairobi, which hosts more than 60 national and global networks. This addition will support the ongoing expansion of the campus. The remaining nearly 200 kW of capacity has been installed at iColo’s expanding Miritini campus in Mombasa.
“Our solar investments are driven not only by our sustainability goals as a company but also by our commitment to support our customers’ renewable energy targets,” said Ranjith Cherickel, Founder and CEO of iColo. “As we further expand, Mombasa’s leading global interconnection hub, which has more than 85 network providers, will benefit from the campus’ expanded sustainable energy source. We are proud to lead the charge towards a sustainable future by harnessing Kenya’s renewable energy landscape. We will continue to invest in renewable energy to keep up with our power consumption for the foreseeable future. We’re not just embracing renewable energy; we’re driving it forward,” Cherickel added.
Kenya’s power grid is already significantly renewable, with 82% of its energy generation mix comprising renewable sources like geothermal, hydro, and wind, according to the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA). As part of its commitment to sustainable energy solutions, iColo is actively exploring additional space for further solar installations, including greenfields, car parks, and rooftops at all its campuses. The company aims to meet 25% of its facilities’ power needs through solar installations as part of its long-term goals.
iColo’s long-term strategy is to align the growth of its campuses with the addition of more solar capacity to meet increasing demand. The company currently has three data centers in its master plan, including a captive substation, and is projected to consume over 20 megawatts (MW) at full capacity. The company’s second data center in Nairobi, NBO2, with an IT load of 6.5 MW, is expected to come online in Q3 2025.
iColo’s recent solar initiatives in Kenya align with Digital Realty’s global commitment to sustainability. In 2020, Digital Realty joined the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi), pledging to reduce its Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 68% and Scope 3 emissions by 24% by 2030.
In addition to its sustainability commitments, Digital Realty has achieved significant milestones in renewable energy procurement, securing contracts for over 1.4 gigawatts of renewable power. This marks substantial progress towards its clean energy objectives.
The solar expansion in Kenya is part of Digital Realty’s broader efforts to source solar power across Africa. Recently, Teraco, another Digital Realty Company, unveiled a large-scale solar project in South Africa’s Free State province. Teraco’s initiative involves the allocation of grid capacity for a 120 MW utility-scale solar development. Once operational, the solar plant is expected to generate over 338,000 megawatt-hours annually, contributing significantly to the region’s renewable energy landscape and further exemplifying Digital Realty’s dedication to sustainable practices.
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