Palm and pumpkin seed oil could soon be generating electricity to help power cell phone networks across Africa under a plan to replace fossil fuels with sustainable biofuels made from crops grown by local farmers.

Swedish telecoms networks group Ericsson and South African cell phone operator MTN said on Wednesday they want to start replacing diesel with biofuels in electricity generating stations powering mobile phone base stations in rural Africa.

Supported by the GSM Association’s development fund, they will start with a project in Nigeria to use biofuels for power generators supplying mobile base stations located beyond the reach of the electricity grid.

“We’re planning to replicate this in Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya. India and Bangladesh have also expressed interest,” said Ben Soppitt, program manager emerging markets at the GSM Association.