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MDXi, West Africa’s largest carrier-neutral data centre and a fully owned subsidiary of MainOne, is leading the way in reducing greenhouse gas emission in its quest to promote sustainable development.
The need to maintain equilibrium between human development and preservation of the environment has brought huge focus on carbon footprint and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions management. Globally, a considerable number of environmentally responsible firms are becoming more mindful of their carbon footprint and the impact it has on the communities in which they operate. One of such organizations, MDXi, a primary provider of colocation and data center services to organizations across West Africa has over the years implemented policies that have significantly reduced its carbon footprint in its facilities.
In a recent interview, Mr. Gbenga Adegbiji, MDXi Chief Operating Office stated that “In January 2021, MDXi recorded 100% availability of supply from the national grid through the Eko Electric Distribution Company (EKEDC). This excellent availability record meant the company did not have to run any of our four (4) heavy duty generating sets, thereby saving a huge amount of carbon emissions, and contributing our own quota to the environment. The availability means stability of all facility equipment and more peace of mind for our customers aside from the added benefit of reducing carbon footprint.”
He also explained “the company has started to reap the full benefits of its green power initiatives embarked upon some years ago with an investment of close to $1m in direct connection of its Lekki Data Centre to the national grid in order to enjoy 100% power availability from the grid.”
Since it launched in 2015, MDXi has operated carrier-neutral facilities and has harnessed MainOne’s network footprint to not only interconnect all major network and content providers in the West African sub region, but also enable ISPs and virtual network operators connect to the Data Centers to provide services to hosted customers. The organization has a focus on deliberate action and a commitment to doing what is right even though it comes at a high cost. Obtaining 100% of its power supply from the National Grid due to private investment implies the company can reduce its dependence on burning fossil fuels. In addition, even before construction commenced, the organization ensured that the Data Centre was positioned in a location with ease of access to the national grid.
“As a market leader in Data Center solutions, MDXi ensures that energy efficiency and environmental sustainability is a major aspect of our centers, like the upcoming Lekki 2 and Sagamu Data Centers and the new Appolonia (Accra) Data Centre which received its Tier III design certifications and will be ready for commissioning in a couple of weeks” Adegbiji added.
The company also communicated that there were ongoing strategic efforts to explore additional green initiatives such as utilizing solar to generate power for the additional MDXi data center facilities located in Lagos, Nigeria, Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire and Accra, Ghana.
