• Finnfund added $5 million to support hybrid solar systems for 499 MTN telecom sites.

• The total Finnish investment in CREI now reaches $10 million.

• Renewable energy use at the sites has risen from 11% to 42%.

Finland’s development finance institution Finnfund announced on February 19 an additional $5 million investment in Communication & Renewable Energy Infrastructure (CREI) to expand hybrid energy systems serving telecom infrastructure in South Sudan.

The operation, supported by the European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus (EFSD+) under the Africa Connected program, brings Finnfund’s total investment in CREI to $10 million since 2024.

The funding will support the modernization and expansion of hybrid solar systems across 499 MTN South Sudan telecom sites under a 10-year Energy as a Service contract. According to Finnfund, 490 sites have already been upgraded through the partnership. The network serves more than 4 million customers.

Over the past three years, national telecom coverage has increased from 69% to 80%, Finnfund said. During the same period, the share of renewable energy powering the telecom sites rose from 11% to 42%, while carbon emissions fell by 43%.

“We are delighted to expand our partnership and collaboration with Finnfund at our TESCO project in South Sudan,” said Kadri El Hakim, chief executive of CREI. He added that the company remains committed to strengthening the country’s telecommunications sector through sustainable infrastructure investments.

The new investment follows earlier financing rounds supporting CREI’s business model. In June 2024, Cygnum Capital’s Energy Inclusion Facility provided a $15 million bridge loan for operations in South Sudan, alongside Finnfund’s initial $5 million loan. In April 2025, Norfund and the Energy Inclusion Facility mobilized $40 million for CREI to deploy renewable energy assets for telecom infrastructure in Mali.

Abdoullah Diop