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How the hottest technologies in enterprise IT can also be the coolest

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4 years ago

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technologies

An endless appetite for data doesn’t have to mean gorging on power

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, October 20, 2022/APO Group/ — 

The amount of data we produce, distribute, and consume in our professional and social lives is ever increasing. But it’s all too easy, particularly for non-technologists, to forget that the remorseless increase in data processing and distribution can also lead to a remorseless increase in power consumption.

This dilemma is illustrated by data centres. They are the engine of the compute growth that informs, educates and entertains the world, and enables collaboration that will help us tackle the challenges of climate change.

But substantial research (bit.ly/3ClQW0x) by the International Energy Agency shows that data centres accounted for 200 to 250 TWh, or one per cent of total world electricity demand in 2020, while data transmission networks – mobile and fixed lined – accounted for 1.1 to 1.4 per cent of worldwide electricity use.

It’s a tribute to the ingenuity of the tech world that, so far, data centre operators and tech providers have managed to hold the line on energy consumption. Data centre energy use has remained fairly constant over the last ten years, even as internet traffic has expanded 15-fold. In 2020 alone, global internet traffic surged by 40 per cent.

But can technology providers maintain this level of efficiency? More and more people are connecting to the internet for work or pleasure, and emerging compute-intensive workloads such as AI or IoT are ever more demanding.

Indeed, can technology vendors take the initiative, and support these ever more demanding workloads, while simultaneously making data centres and networks more efficient, and reducing energy consumption down in the process?

At MWC in Barcelona this month, Huawei explained how the company is enabling providers and operators to meet these more demanding use cases, and process and deliver ever more data, while driving down energy consumption at the heart of the data centre, and beyond.

One way to reduce power consumption within the data centre is through the use of all-flash storage, and the all-flash storage market is forecast to grow 7.6 per cent this year according to IDC. With fewer moving parts, and higher density, SSDs require far less power – and cooling – than their traditional mechanically based hard disk forebears and are considered more reliable. Moreover, they are also more efficient from a data point of view, reducing access latency by half to 0.05ms, for example, and potentially increasing backup speed by a factor of three.

Less power, in a flash

And when it comes to the AI driven workloads that are imposing an increasing strain on data centres, Huawei’s all-flash OceanStor Dorado (bit.ly/3CNL9Bg) can improve algorithm efficiency by 60 per cent.

The platform offers both SAN and NAS, with built-in ransomware detection and protection, and delivers 30 per cent higher performance on small files and blocks. The result is higher utilisation of CPUs, helping boost overall compute efficiency within the data centre.

One way to reduce power consumption within the data centre is through the use of all-flash storage

But innovation within the data centre’s storage racks alone won’t solve the problem of increasing power consumption within the data centre. Networking too is an essential, and power hungry, element within the data centre, and beyond. And the data centre is just one component of the cloud, and the overall digitalization equation.

Huawei also used MWC to highlight its CloudFabric 3.0 strategy, which aims to reduce packet loss across networks. At the same time, the platform’s intelligent algorithms reduce opex by up to 30 per cent. Reduced opex results in less resources wasted. The result is an SDN architecture which industry consultants Tolly declared delivers the highest level of autonomous driving (prn.to/3SmAOlj) in the industry.

Meanwhile, Huawei’s CloudWAN 3.0 technology, based on its NetEngine 8000 F8 routers, unveiled at MWC, enables the construction of experience centric IP production networks and office services. The platform launches with forwarding capability of 2Tbps, which will increase to 6.4Tbps in the future. But it also features two patented technologies – SRU warm backup and a rectifier circuit – which help to deliver a 30 per cent reduction in power consumption.

The Cloud Campus 3.0 solution (bit.ly/3eJo3Ui) enables further efficiency, with its “concise structure” reducing the classic three layer model of access, aggregation and core, to just two, access and core. By transforming the access switch into a highly flexible, remote extension Huawei delivers an 80 per cent reduction in equipment management nodes.

Rectifying the power dilemma

The architecture also features Power over Ethernet technology, allowing power to be delivered to terminals over data lines. With each port requiring less than a 1W of power, overall energy consumption is reduced by 30 per cent compared to the industry average. In a campus with 2,000 unit users, that equates to a 23,800 kWh saving Huawei’s figures show. Resources are further preserved, with the PoE optical fibre network being maintenance free for 15 years.

You could think of Huawei’s vision of the Intelligent Cloud Network as the “Power Grid” of the digital world, supplying “digital” efficiently, 24 x 7. While simultaneously reducing the load on the actual power grid.

Looking even further afield, Huawei’s Fiber To The Office (FTTO) (bit.ly/3TlhHJS) and Fiber To The Machine (FTTM) solutions enable the new generation of industry 4.0 applications, such as smart factories, while again, working hard to increase efficiency.

For example, at MWC, Huawei showed how a smart healthcare network project at the Union Shenzhen Hospital delivered 10Gbps coverage, and reduced the number of O&M nodes by 60 percent, while 1000 CT images can be uploaded and downloaded within one second.

Huawei illustrated how the use of FTTM again rationalises the architecture in oil field operations from over 10 layers to just three and combines blistering speeds with secure data collection and intelligent management. Again, this reduces network maintenance costs by up to 70 per cent, while allowing unattended operations across a field of over 60,000 oil wells, all over a single network.

The architecture is similarly applicable to other heavyweight applications such as port management, power infrastructure, and metro transit. Huawei highlighted the application of its FTTM technology in a metro network, which resulted in an 80 per cent reduction in ELV room space, and a 90 per cent reduction in cabling space, while delivering network reliability of 99.999 per cent.

These are just some of the examples Huawei demonstrated at MWC this year. At the event, Huawei showcased how it supports customers in implementing innovative solutions and practices, from government and public sector through finance, transportation, energy, manufacturing, and of course, ISPs. In every scenario, Huawei focuses on reducing carbon emissions, which means that whatever customer problem the company is helping to solve, it also helps solve the biggest problem facing us all.

To go further in depth on how Huawei is changing the data centre, and the industries that rely on it, check out Huawei Enterprise at Huawei Connect 2022 (bit.ly/3VD4I85).

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Huawei Enterprise.

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Nigeria’s Upstream Reform Program Captures 40% of Africa’s Final Investment Decision (FID) Activity After a Decade on the Margins

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1 day ago

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May 8, 2026

By

African Energy Chamber

A government three-year review documents how executive action under President Tinubu reversed a decade of upstream decline

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, May 8, 2026/APO Group/ –Nigeria has gone from capturing 4% of Africa’s upstream final investment decisions (FIDs) to commanding 40% in two years, according to Nigeria’s Energy Sector Reforms 2023-2026: A Three-Year Review, published by the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Energy and spearheaded by Special Adviser Olu Verheijen. The $50 billion project pipeline now in development beyond 2026 points to sustained capital commitment at a scale not seen in the Nigerian upstream for at least a decade.

 

Between 2014 and 2023, Nigeria was among the continent’s weakest performers for upstream FIDs despite holding 37.5 billion barrels of proven oil reserves, the second-largest endowment in Africa. Algeria captured 44% of African upstream FIDs during that period, Angola held 26%, while Nigeria trailed Mozambique, Ghana, Senegal and Namibia. In the third quarter of 2022, crude production briefly dropped below one million barrels per day, as years of underinvestment, pipeline vandalism and regulatory ambiguity compounded each other. However, reforms instituted by Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu have dramatically turned this trend around. Through deliberate and coordinated steps, the government has reset the trajectory.

Addressing Fiscal Terms, Regulatory Scope and Contracting Speed

President Bola Tinubu’s administration moved simultaneously on fiscal terms and regulatory architecture. Policy directives in 2023 clarified the boundary of jurisdiction between the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), resolving an ambiguity that had complicated project sanctioning. Presidential Directive 40 introduced targeted tax incentives, and a separate Notice of Tax Incentives for Deep Offshore Production in 2024 was designed to draw international oil companies (IOCs) back into capital-intensive, long-cycle deepwater projects. The VAT Modification Order 2024 and Upstream Cost Efficiency Order 2025 addressed the cost structures that had rendered marginal projects uneconomic. NNPCL contracting timelines were compressed from 36 months to a maximum of six months.

Four Divestments Transferred Onshore Control to Indigenous Operators

In parallel, the administration deployed targeted security directives and accelerated ministerial consents for four IOC asset transfers. Renaissance acquired Shell’s onshore portfolio. Seplat Energy completed its acquisition of ExxonMobil’s Nigerian upstream interests. Oando took over from Agip, and Chappal acquired Equinor’s local assets. The four transactions totaled approximately $4 billion. The transfer of onshore and shallow-water blocks to indigenous operators contributed directly to production recovery. Output rose by approximately 400,000 barrels per day between 2023 and 2025 to reach 1.6 million barrels per day, the highest onshore production level in 20 years.

When a government rebuilds fiscal competitiveness and regulatory predictability at the same time, capital responds

Signed Projects Total $10 Billion, With a $50 Billion Pipeline Beyond

The reforms produced a concrete FID response from Shell and TotalEnergies. Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo) sanctioned the $5 billion Bonga North deepwater development in December 2024 and committed a further $2 billion to the HI Non-Associated Gas (NAG) project. TotalEnergies and NNPCL took a joint FID on the $550 million Ubeta gas field development in June 2024.

Together those three commitments account for more than $10 billion in signed investment after a decade of near-zero sanctioning activity. The pipeline beyond 2026 spans a further $50 billion across 11 projects including Bonga South West, Owowo, Usan and Erha. Nigeria approved 28 field development plans valued at $18.2 billion in 2025 alone, targeting an estimated 1.4 billion barrels of reserves.

“When a government rebuilds fiscal competitiveness and regulatory predictability at the same time, capital responds,” said NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber. “Nigeria has done both, and the FID numbers are concrete proof.”

The Counterfactual Illustrates How Much Was at Stake

The presentation includes a no-reform projection that puts the gains in context. Without intervention, total crude and condensate production was on track to fall from 1.371 million barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2022 to 579,000 by 2030. Under the reform trajectory, output reached 1.77 million barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2026, with a stated government target of 3 million barrels per day. Export gas utilization rose 39% over the same period, while domestic utilization grew by 7%.

The durability of these gains will be tested by two factors: whether the institutional architecture put in place under the Tinubu administration holds over the long term, and whether the deepwater commitments signed in 2024 and 2025 advance to execution on schedule. The project pipeline is large enough that partial delivery would still represent a generational shift in Nigeria’s upstream output profile.

 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

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Angola Strengthens Global Investment Drive Across Oil, Gas and Mineral Resources

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1 day ago

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May 8, 2026

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Angola

With sweeping reforms across the extractive sector, Angola is entering a new phase defined by transparency, regulatory modernisation, value addition, and international partnership

LONDON, United Kingdom, May 8, 2026/APO Group/ –At a defining moment in Angola’s economic transformation, the Critical Minerals Africa Group (CMAG) (https://CMAGAfrica.com), together with the Government of Angola and the Ministry of Mineral Resources, Petroleum and Gas of the Republic of Angola (MIREMPET), will convene global investors, policymakers, and industry leaders in London for the Angola Oil, Gas & Mining Investment Conference on 14 May 2026.

 

More than a conference, this gathering represents a strategic international engagement at a time when Angola is actively reshaping its economic future and positioning itself as one of Africa’s most compelling destinations for long-term investment in natural resources, infrastructure, and industrial development.

With sweeping reforms across the extractive sector, Angola is entering a new phase defined by transparency, regulatory modernisation, value addition, and international partnership. The country’s leadership is sending a clear message to global markets: Angola is open for investment and ready to build transformational partnerships that support sustainable growth and economic diversification.

This is not simply about resource development, it is about building long-term industrial growth, strengthening energy and mineral supply chains, and shaping Angola’s future

The event will be headlined by H.E. Diamantino Azevedo, Minister for Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas of Angola, whose leadership since 2017 has been central to advancing Angola’s mineral and hydrocarbons agenda. Under his stewardship, Angola has accelerated institutional reform, strengthened governance frameworks, promoted private sector participation, and prioritised sustainable resource development.

As global demand intensifies for critical minerals, energy security, and resilient supply chains, Angola is uniquely positioned to become a strategic partner to international investors and industrial economies. The country’s vast untapped mineral wealth, significant oil and gas reserves, expanding infrastructure ambitions, and commitment to economic diversification present a rare investment window for global stakeholders.

Speaking ahead of the event, Veronica Bolton Smith, CEO of the Critical Minerals Africa Group said:

“Angola stands at a pivotal point in its national development. The reforms taking place across the country’s extractive sectors are creating unprecedented opportunities for responsible international investment and strategic partnership. This is not simply about resource development, it is about building long-term industrial growth, strengthening energy and mineral supply chains, and shaping Angola’s future as a globally competitive investment destination. We believe this moment represents one of the most important opportunities for international partners to engage with Angola’s leadership and participate in the country’s next chapter of economic transformation.”

The event is expected to attract a distinguished international audience, including sovereign representatives, institutional investors, mining and energy executives, infrastructure developers, development finance institutions, and strategic partners seeking direct engagement with Angola’s leadership.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Critical Minerals Africa Group (CMAG).

 

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The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group Successfully Concludes Private Sector Roadshow in Baku

Published

2 days ago

on

May 8, 2026

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Islamic Development Bank

Bringing together a diverse range of stakeholders, the Forum showcased IsDB Group services, activities, and initiatives across its 57 member countries, with particular emphasis on Azerbaijan

BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 7, 2026/APO Group/ –The Islamic Development Bank Group (IsDB) affiliates (www.IsDB.org) – namely the Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC), the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD), and the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) – in cooperation with the Islamic Development Bank Group Business Forum (THIQAH), organized the “IsDB Group Private Sector Roadshow” in Baku, Azerbaijan, in close collaboration with the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Export and Investment Promotion Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan (AZPROMO).

 

The high-profile event which took place on Thursday, 7th May 2026, at Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Economy, came as part of ongoing preparations for the upcoming IsDB Group Annual Meetings and Private Sector Forum (PSF 2026), scheduled to take place from 16 to 19 June 2026, under the high patronage of His Excellency President Ilham Aliyev, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

 

Bringing together a diverse range of stakeholders, the Forum showcased IsDB Group services, activities, and initiatives across its 57 member countries, with particular emphasis on Azerbaijan. It highlighted the Group’s ongoing support for private sector development and its efforts to stimulate promising investment and trade opportunities in the Azerbaijani market.

 

The event also served as a unique opportunity inviting the audience to participate actively in IsDB Group Annual Meetings and the Private Sector Forum (PSF 2026). The program included panel discussions and specialized workshops on ways to enhance economic partnerships and the role of IsDB Group’s institutions in supporting the needs of member countries. The spectra of services, solutions and financial tools were also presented, including lines and modes of Islamic financing, trade finance and trade development solutions, corporate private sector financing, as well as risk mitigation solutions plus investment insurance and export credit insurance services.

 

Keynote speakers, in their speeches, underlined strong commitment to deepening engagement with the private sector and fostering meaningful partnerships that drive sustainable economic growth in light of the upcoming IsDB Group Annual Meetings in Baku, all to showcase integrated solutions especially in Islamic finance, trade, investment, and risk mitigation while working closely and collectively with private sector partners to unlock new opportunities, support innovation, and empower businesses contributing to inclusive and resilient development across IsDB Group member countries.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Islamic Development Bank Group (IsDB Group).

 

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