Dolphin Telecoms Signs 10-Year Solar Deal with Grid Crux to Power ACE Cable Landing Station in Lagos

UAE-based telecom firm Dolphin Telecoms has entered into a ten-year Energy-as-a-Service (EaaS) agreement with Nigerian clean energy developer Grid Crux Energy Solutions to deploy a solar power system at Dolphin's Lagos Cable Landing Station in Lagos, Nigeria. The deal marks a significant step in the telecommunications industry's broader push to reduce reliance on diesel generation at critical subsea infrastructure sites, where uninterrupted power is essential to maintaining global connectivity.

Under the terms of the agreement, Grid Crux will design, finance, install, and operate the solar system at the cable landing station where the Africa Coast to Europe (ACE) submarine cable terminates. The project is expected to generate more than 144MWh of power annually, amounting to nearly 1.5GWh over the lifetime of the ten-year agreement.

The solar array will operate alongside the cable landing station's existing power sources, reducing the facility's dependence on diesel generation. The ACE cable itself spans approximately 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, making the Lagos landing station a critical node in the region's digital infrastructure.

Mojola Ola, CEO of Grid Crux Energy Solutions, commented on the partnership: "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."

Dolphin Telecoms, established in 2013, operates across Africa and parts of the Middle East, with major regional subsea landing hubs and offices in Lagos, Accra, and Dakar. The agreement reflects a growing trend among telecom and data infrastructure operators to integrate renewable energy solutions at cable landing stations and data centers, driven by rising fuel costs, sustainability targets, and the need for more resilient power architectures at sites where downtime carries significant financial and operational consequences.