Sustainability Performance: At a glance (31 March 2012) - Safaricom

Energy Security
Stakeholders with whom we engage
Stakeholder groups What we engage them on:
Government of Kenya (through
Ministry of Energy, Energy
Regulatory Commission and Ministry
of Finance)
Kenya Power (KPLC)
Rural Electrification Authority (REA)
• Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) petitioned to
- review electricity tariffs, and
- reimburse the Road Maintenance Levy (RML) paid by
Safaricom for diesel usage by BTS generators (as the levy
applies to diesel used in vehicles, not stationary generators).
Safaricom has also petitioned to gazette this exception
through the Ministry of Finance.
The status of both petitions is pending.
KPLC is the sole supplier of electrical power within the country.
Regular engagements take place to address the speed of grid
connection, quality of supply, maintenance issues (such as
stolen transformers) and billing activities.
There have been some improvements, especially regards
billing management, but less so concerning the supply of
quality power, the slow speed of connection and responses to
maintenance issues.
The REA is responsible for the extension of the national
grid supply in rural areas. Safaricom liaises and coordinates
its network extensions with the REA to ensure the optimal
allocation of resources and sites.
GSMA (GSM Association) The GSMA brings together stakeholders from the global GSM
telecommunication sector, including mobile network operators,
equipment vendors/suppliers and solution developers.
Shareholders ( Vodafone Plc,
Government of Kenya Public (NSE)
Safaricom is an active participant in GSMA best practice
workshops, hosting two workshops in September 2008 and one
in March 2011.
In partnership with the GSMA, Safaricom has also embarked
on a community power feasibility study — to determine the
viability of Safaricom providing power to the communities that
live around its BTSs.
Safaricom shareholders, Vodafone in particular, have assisted
in addressing the energy security risk by sharing best practices
and processes and acting as a reference for new technologies,
products and solutions, Inviting Safaricom, for instance, to
attend Vodafone conferences and workshops. The most recent
being the November 2011 Johannesburg conference on site
and energy infrastructure.
Stakeholder groups What we engage them on:
Local communities
National Environment
Management Authority (NEMA)
Renewable energy equipment
suppliers
As well as discussing proposed sites with the communities it serves,
Safaricom also provides power and other services through its GSMAguided
Community Power for Mobile (CPM) programme.
Examples of the amenities provided include:
• excess power and computers in Faza and Ndau,
• community lighting in Tegea, and
• a community water pump at Archers post.
Energy Security
In sites where renewable energy sources are deployed, such as wind
turbines, the objective of the installation is explained and discussed
with the local community.
Safaricom also contributes — directly and indirectly — to the extension
of the national grid in remote areas, improving the lives of these
communities.
Safaricom works closely with NEMA as it is the local environmental
regulatory authority and sets the standards that Safaricom installations
must meet.
The green initiatives implemented by Safaricom — including Green
BTSs, e-waste recycling (in partnership with CFSK), SIM recycling and
tree planting — have also been recognised by NEMA and, in 2010,
Safaricom was awarded the best telecommunication company in
terms of environmental conservation.
Safaricom engages with its renewable energy equipment partners
by monitoring and reporting on the performance of installations and
feeding back any performance deviations. This engagement has
resulted in the optimal operation of systems, improved efficiencies and
reduced energy waste.
Green energy awareness workshops
Safaricom held a company-wide green energy awareness workshop in February 2011, which showcased the
green energy initiatives we are undertaking. Safaricom vendors and regulatory stakeholders were also invited to
exhibit and share experiences with our staff.
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