SOTELMA · 2022
Sikasso
Solar conversion of 24 SOTELMA telecom sites in the Sikasso region, transitioning from diesel to lithium-battery + PV power.
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03. Pillar 03
Solar sites
+177
Standalone solar sites · 2016 campaigns (117 + 60)
70
Operator-specific solar sites · 35 Orange Mali + 35 SOTELMA · multi-technology maintenance
Pillar 03
In 2016, TME deployed 177+ standalone solar sites in two national campaigns — complemented by 70 operator-dedicated sites for Orange + SOTELMA. Solar–generator hybridization on the most critical sites keeps the signal up even in degraded seasons.
The two 2016 campaigns
117 + 60
Two national campaigns 2016 · 177 standalone sites
One hundred seventeen sites in the first wave, sixty in the second. Solar panels, regulators, batteries, inverters: full autonomy for off-grid telecom sites and rural villages where diesel supply had been erratic at best. In a matter of months, Mali equipped itself with 177 standalone sites — a country-scale logistical effort.
Operators · 35 Orange + 35 SOTELMA
35 + 35
Dedicated solar sites · Orange Mali · SOTELMA
Seventy solar sites dedicated to both of Mali's incumbent operators — 35 Orange Mali and 35 SOTELMA. Multi-technology maintenance — panels, lithium batteries, inverters, supervision — sustained over time. Towers without grid access stay connected because solar keeps holding.
Solar and generator hybridization
On the most critical telecom sites, solar alone is not enough — a long rainy season, a panel incident, and call continuity wavers. Hybrid architecture with automatic source management: solar primary, batteries as buffer, generator as backup. The signal does not go down.
Rural telephony and regional reach
48villages
Villages connected · 54 solar stations · 380+ subscribers · 8 zones of Mali
More than infrastructure: a measurable social impact. Across eight zones of Mali — Banamba, Baguinéda, Banankoro, Kita, Bafoulabé, Nioro, Diéma, Yélimané — TME installed 54 standalone solar stations enabling rural telephony in 48 previously unserved villages, connecting 380+ subscribers. Through the PANAF-TEL program, TME's solar expertise extended to five countries (Senegal, Burkina Faso, Niger, Benin, Mauritania).
Related projects
Partners
SOTELMAOrange Mali
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