Teraco partners with NOA to integrate wind power into its data centres, advancing its 100% renewable energy goal in South Africa. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Teraco, a Digital Realty company and a leading provider of interconnection platforms and vendor-neutral colocation data centres, has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with South African energy aggregator NOA to supply wind-generated renewable energy to its facilities

Reinforcing its sustainability commitment, Teraco previously announced the construction of a 120MW solar PV plant in the Free State. This latest PPA expands its renewable energy portfolio by incorporating wind power, ensuring a balanced energy mix. The agreement allows both Teraco and NOA to scale renewable energy procurement in response to growing demand.

Wind energy is essential for powering data centres that operate continuously. In South Africa, wind power generation is highest at night and in the early morning, complementing solar energy, which produces electricity during the day. By integrating both sources, Teraco enhances its renewable energy coverage.

Bryce Allan, head of sustainability at Teraco, stated, “The conclusion of this PPA supports our sustainable growth pathway. We appreciate NOA’s unique and collaborative approach in complementing Teraco’s renewable energy supply and look forward to a long partnership as we journey towards our 100% renewable energy goal.”

Karel Cornelissen, CEO of NOA, added, “NOA is proud to deliver our suite of renewable energy products to support Africa’s largest data centre operator’s ambitious renewable energy goals. Teraco is an industry leader and continues to set the bar high for renewable energy initiatives across South Africa’s data centre industry. By aggregating renewable energy from our fleet of generation facilities and third-party IPPs, we are well positioned to provide tailored and flexible solutions to help companies, like Teraco, reduce their carbon footprint.”

Renewable Energy Wheeling

Under this agreement, NOA will wheel wind-generated renewable energy from various projects to Teraco’s data centres. This energy will work alongside Teraco’s solar programme to maximise renewable energy usage. The projects will scale up gradually, with the first power expected to be delivered in 2026.

Wheeling renewable energy via existing electrical grids enables power generated in high-yield areas to be transmitted to urban users efficiently. This approach optimises renewable energy deployment and maximises generation potential.

Jan Hnizdo, CEO at Teraco, concluded, “This is an exciting time for Teraco as we take another significant step towards meeting our 100% renewable energy ambitions and those of our clients. We’re looking forward to these new wind generation facilities coming online and adding much-needed new renewable energy production to South Africa’s grid.”

Also read: iColo expands data centres with Siemon solutions

MTN Group Fintech selects Network International as its payment processor, expanding card issuance in Africa to enhance digital financial services and inclusion. (Image source: Network International)

Network International, a key facilitator of digital commerce in the Middle East and Africa (MEA), has been selected as the Payment Processor–issuing partner for MTN Group Fintech, Africa’s top mobile financial services provider

This collaboration marks a major expansion of the Network’s issuer processing partnerships across the continent.

Operating in over 50 countries and serving more than 250 financial institutions, Network International will leverage its expertise to strengthen MTN Fintech’s mobile financial services, delivering increased value to customers and stakeholders across Africa.

The partnership aims to launch card issuance products in major MTN Fintech markets, beginning with Rwanda, which is already active. Uganda, Ivory Coast, and Nigeria will soon follow. Network International will provide a full suite of services, including transaction processing, card management, and online fraud prevention, ensuring a seamless experience for MTN Fintech users who can access both traditional mobile services and digital payment solutions.

Dr Reda Helal, group managing director – Processing, Africa and Co-Head of Group Processing at Network International, highlighted the importance of the collaboration, stating: “Our collaboration with MTN Group Fintech marks a major milestone for our outsourced payments services in Africa. It demonstrates our ability to successfully serve Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) via our fully-fledged processing solutions and our continued dedication and commitment to the African region. We are excited to support MTN Group Fintech’s growth strategy, and its business development plans across the continent.”

Cedric N'guessan, an executive for payment and E-commerce at MTN Group Fintech, emphasised the partnership’s role in advancing financial inclusion, and added, "This collaboration with Network International is pivotal in enhancing financial inclusion across Africa and beyond. It enables our customers to actively engage in the global economy, aligning perfectly with our strategic goals alongside Mastercard to broaden access to digital financial services across the continent."

Meta’s Project Waterworth spans 50,000 km across five continents, enhancing global connectivity, AI infrastructure, and digital inclusion. (Image source: Meta)

Meta has announced its most ambitious subsea cable project to date: Project Waterworth. Spanning over 50,000 km, this initiative will connect five major continents, surpassing the Earth’s circumference in length

Once completed, it will be the longest subsea cable project globally, utilising the highest-capacity technology available.

Project Waterworth is set to redefine global connectivity, linking the U.S., India, Brazil, South Africa, and other key regions. This large-scale investment aims to drive economic collaboration, promote digital inclusion, and create new technological opportunities. In India, where digital infrastructure has experienced rapid growth, Waterworth will accelerate progress and support the country’s vision for an advanced digital economy.

Powering global connectivity

Subsea cable networks, such as Project Waterworth, form the backbone of global digital infrastructure, facilitating over 95% of intercontinental traffic. They enable seamless digital communication, high-quality video streaming, and secure online transactions worldwide. As a multi-billion dollar, multi-year investment, Waterworth will establish three new oceanic corridors, delivering high-speed, reliable connectivity to fuel AI-driven advancements across industries.

Meta has been a pioneer in infrastructure innovation, collaborating with global partners to develop over 20 subsea cables over the past decade. These projects include multiple 24 fiber pair cables, significantly exceeding the 8 to 16 fiber pairs found in most new systems. Such advancements meet the growing demand for high-performance digital connectivity.

With Project Waterworth, Meta is pushing engineering boundaries to enhance cable resilience and optimize deployment speed. It will be the longest 24 fiber pair cable ever built, leveraging deep-sea routing—at depths of up to 7,000 meters—and advanced burial techniques in shallow, high-risk zones. These measures protect against potential damage from ship anchors and other environmental factors.

AI is revolutionising every aspect of our lives, from how we interact with each other to how we think about infrastructure – and Meta is at the forefront of building these innovative technologies. As AI continues to transform industries and societies around the world, it’s clear that capacity, resilience, and global reach are more important than ever to support leading infrastructure. With Project Waterworth, we can help ensure that the benefits of AI and other emerging technologies are available to everyone, regardless of where they live or work.

Project Waterworth reinforces Meta’s commitment to expanding global connectivity, ensuring sustainable, high-capacity infrastructure to support the next generation of AI-driven innovations.

Siemon introduces SN cord support, tripling fibre capacity in 1U panels and aligning with VSFF connector adoption in data centres. (Image source: Siemon)

Siemon, a leading provider of network infrastructure solutions, has announced its support for Very Small Form Factor (VSFF) connectors, starting with the SN cord

The SN cord marks a significant advancement in fibre connectivity, offering substantially higher density compared to traditional LC connectors. While a standard 1U 19-inch panel can house up to 144 fibres with LC connectors, integrating SN cords within the same space triples the capacity to 432 fibres.

Advancing fibre connectivity

“Siemon’s support for SN cords reflects our commitment to driving innovation and enabling higher-density fibre networks,” commented Peter Thickett, Siemon director, product management (Data Centres). “As active equipment manufacturers continue to adopt VSFF connectors to maximise port counts, our SN cord support ensures that structured cabling environments can align seamlessly with these advancements.”

Beyond delivering exceptional density with support for up to 432 fibres in a 1U panel, Siemon’s VSFF Connector Support offers custom jumper configurations to reduce excess cabling. Additionally, it features innovative compatibility with SN-LC cords incorporating Siemon’s LC BladePatch connector, allowing seamless integration with standard LC interfaces.

By prioritising SN cords, Siemon reinforces its forward-thinking approach to fibre connectivity while continuing to evaluate market demand for further VSFF solutions