Econet InfraCo, the tower infrastructure subsidiary of Econet Wireless Zimbabwe, has cut diesel costs by 30 percent after deploying an artificial intelligence (AI) system to optimise generator use, highlighting the potential of the technology to reduce operating expenses across Africa’s telecoms sector.
The company developed the AI Fuel Mode platform in collaboration with sister company Cassava Compute, using AI computing infrastructure powered by Nvidia in Cape Town, South Africa.
Godfrey Gomwe, chairman of Econet InfraCo, said the system analyses when and how individual diesel generators are deployed to improve fuel efficiency.
“By using AI to analyse how and when each diesel generator is deployed, we have developed a fuel management system that has reduced our diesel costs by 30 percent,” Gomwe said in a statement accompanying the company’s half-year results.
“This demonstrates the practical value of AI in improving operational efficiency and managing one of our largest expenses.”
The savings come as tensions in the Middle East put upward pressure on diesel prices, raising costs for businesses that depend on generators to maintain uninterrupted operations.
Mobile network operators across Africa rely heavily on diesel generators because of unreliable grid electricity. Econet estimated that more than 500,000 generators support mobile network operations across the continent, making fuel a significant operating expense for tower infrastructure companies.
Econet said AI Fuel Mode was the first solution of its kind deployed by a tower operator globally. The system uses analysis of generator deployment patterns to develop a fuel management matrix aimed at reducing diesel consumption and expenditure.
Cassava AI plans to make the platform available to other operators, with potential applications in sectors such as mining and manufacturing.
The initiative forms part of a broader push by Cassava AI and Nvidia to deploy artificial intelligence across telecoms operations, the companies stated.
“The companies also stated that they are introducing an AI Energy Mode platform to help Econet Wireless optimise electricity consumption across its mobile network,” the companies said.
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