“Our ambition is to develop technologies that are sustainable” (Huawei)

Jean Marie Takouleu: Decision-makers from around the world are meeting in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from November 30 to December 12, 2023 for COP28. There will be a lot of talk about the energy transition. Digital infrastructures are known to be quite energy-intensive. How to decarbonize them while maintaining their efficiency ?   

Adnane Ben Halima  : Concerning the decarbonization of digital infrastructures, I think it is important to concentrate our efforts on two major axes. The first, the integration of renewable energies into the power supply of these infrastructures is crucial. As for the second point, it is essential to improve the energy efficiency of our infrastructure. Thus, in collaboration with Telecom Egypt, Huawei participated in the construction of Africa's first ecological tower in Egypt: the Green Tower. This uses innovative fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) technology which reduces the energy consumption of sites by almost 40%, perfectly illustrating how it is possible to combine technological efficiency and respect for environment.

Digital technology currently represents 3 to 4% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions worldwide. As a major player in the sector, what is Huawei doing to reduce the environmental footprint of its facilities, particularly data centers ? 

At Huawei, we attach great importance to our environmental responsibility, in particular by acting on the energy efficiency of all of our solutions and installations. On the specific issue of data centers, we favor the adoption of natural cooling systems, air conditioners being the most energy intensive. All our recent data centers, in Africa and internationally, are equipped with these technologies.

We have also made significant progress in the energy optimization of our facilities. A good example is the bit/watt ratio in our 5G sites, where we have expanded coverage while reducing their power consumption by up to 50%. This efficiency is the result of the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and other advanced technologies, which optimize the operation of our equipment. These systems dynamically adapt to variations in activity, improving energy efficiency and reducing environmental impact, while ensuring optimal network performance.

When it comes to infrastructure decarbonization, we firmly believe that technology is not at odds with environmental goals. On the contrary, digital technology is an essential lever for achieving a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, aiming for a reduction of 20% by 2030 according to the Global Enabling Sustainability Initiative (GeSi). At Huawei, our ambition is twofold: to develop technologies that benefit society while ensuring that these technologies are sustainable.

Are there any transversal innovations from Huawei today that can help with the decarbonization of infrastructure in other sectors in Africa ? 

Of course, digital technology is essential to support the transformation of all industrial sectors by meeting their sustainability imperative. At Huawei, all of the innovations that we develop are intended to also be used by other sectors and to contribute to the decarbonization of their infrastructures. For example, our “Smart Irrigation” project in Morocco perfectly illustrates the application of our artificial intelligence, 5G and Big Data technologies to other areas, notably agriculture.

This project, designed to respond to climatic challenges such as droughts, uses advanced technologies for precise and intelligent remote irrigation. Using ground sensors, we collect crucial data such as humidity, temperature, electrical conductivity and salinity of water. This approach not only optimizes agricultural production, but also achieves significant water savings, reducing waste by more than 60%.

However, the benefits of these innovations are not limited to agriculture; they extend to many other sectors, including the energy sector itself. Digital technology, particularly thanks to artificial intelligence, plays a crucial role in the optimization of energy distribution networks. Our smart grid solutions are designed to reduce energy losses, which can represent around 20% of total losses during energy distribution in networks. These technological advances, coupled with Huawei's renewable energy solutions, have enabled the company to produce nearly 300 billion kWh of green energy over the past decade, reducing CO 2 emissions by 170 _million . tonnes, the equivalent of planting 220 million trees.

Several African countries, notably Morocco and Egypt, want to develop greener and smarter cities in order to better respond and adapt to climate change. Should we build new cities including new technologies ? Or simply digitize those that already exist ?    

Building new cities is not the most suitable solution. The environmental impact associated with such construction is considerable. Especially since, according to UN-Habitat, current cities are responsible for more than 60% of greenhouse gas emissions while occupying less than 2% of the earth's surface. It is therefore necessary to focus on the modernization of already existing urban infrastructure. However, the increase in the world population makes the question of building new cities inevitable and I am convinced that digital technology will play a central role in their development. It will be essential to optimize not only their construction, but also their daily management, making homes more efficient and sustainable.

Huawei has developed a Smart City solution that combines cloud computing, Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data and artificial intelligence (AI). This solution was notably presented on the occasion of World Cities Day on October 31, 2023. How can it contribute to this objective of developing green and smart cities ? 

Huawei's Smart City solution contributes to the development of green and smart cities through the efficient management of urban resources. AI and Big Data allow us to analyze and optimize the use of resources, such as energy and water, reducing the ecological footprint of cities. IoT connects infrastructure, facilitating proactive and reactive management, such as adjusting street lighting based on human presence. Cloud computing centralizes data, enabling fast and efficient management and decision-making. Together, these technologies improve urban sustainability and quality of life.

Comments collected by Jean Marie Takouleu