Bharti Airtel has signed a contract with Ericsson to upgrade an initial batch of 250 diesel-powered base stations in Nigeria with E-site, a solar energy solution.

The E-site solution will enable Bharti Airtel to harness solar energy to power mobile base stations across Nigeria, the operator said in a statement.

The solution has been tested by the operator in Kenya for close to two years and has been proven to substantially reduce diesel consumption and CO2 emissions when compared to a 24/7 diesel-powered site, the statement added.

E-site is mainly powered by renewable energy sources (the sun and wind) and uses a battery bank for storage of energy.

Under the agreement, Ericsson will be responsible for implementation and maintenance services for all the sites.