Vodafone Ukraine enters Phase 2 of project to equip 500 sites with solar power

Details: John Tanner; Category: Energy & Sustainability; 26 October 2026; 438 views

Vodafone Ukraine says it has launched the second phase of its plan to install solar power at 500 of its base station sites across Ukraine, after having completed the first phase this past June.

Vodafone said it installed solar power systems at 100 base stations across 14 regions of Ukraine for the first phase of the project, with a total installed capacity of 360 kW, averaging approximately 3.6 kW per base station.

Under the next phase that kicked off last week, Vodafone will equip the remaining 400 sites with solar power.

Vodafone Ukraine said the first phase of solar-powered sites is projected to generate around 380 MWh per year, potentially covering up to 30% of the annual electricity consumption of the respective base stations.

Yevhenii Frunza, CTO at Vodafone Ukraine, said that the 100 sites installed under the first phase generated more than 110,000 kWh of electricity during their first summer season.

“The first summer was an opportunity to test the technology under real-world conditions,” Frunza said in a statement. “At times of peak solar generation, some base stations were able to operate without drawing electricity from the external grid.”

However, he added, “the key benefit for us is systemic: solar power reduces grid consumption and helps preserve battery charge, increasing the power reserve available during outages.”

The project is part of Vodafone’s broader programme to strengthen the energy resilience of its network amid the ongoing war against Russia and repeated attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.