GSMA LAUNCHES RENEWABLE ENERGY INITIATIVE FOR MOBILE NETWORKS
GSMA has launched its ecological energy programme for mobile telephones, aimed at helping the mobile telephone industry use renewable energy sources, such as solar power, wind power and sustainable bio-fuels to power the 118,000 base stations located outside the power grid (whether newly constructed or already in operation) in developing countries by 2012. If this target were achieved, up to 2.5 billion litres of diesel would be saved every year, thus reducing annual carbon emissions by up to 6.3 million tonnes.
GSMA, the international trade body for the mobile telephone industry, estimates that by 2012 up to 50% of the base stations located outside the grid in the developing world could be using renewable energy. With support from 25 mobile telephone operators, the ecological energy programme for mobile telephones will provide the necessary expertise to support the deployment of base stations that use renewable energy. Until now, base stations not connected to the grid have been principally powered by diesel generators, which are not only increasingly expensive to run but also generate carbon dioxide and can be difficult to refuel in isolated locations.
"As they strive to bring the benefits of mobile phone services to as many people as possible, operators must find reliable, sustainable and economic energy sources”, says Rob Conway, CEO of GSMA and a member of its Board. "Through its Development Fund, GSMA has accumulated in-depth expertise in solar energy, wind power and other renewable energy sources that mobile telephone operators can use to help them connect people who as yet have not been connected, reduce operating costs and minimise damage to the environment".
After carrying out wide-ranging research among mobile telephone operators, the GSMA’s Development Fund estimates that only 1,500 base stations obtain their energy from at least one renewable source. The challenges encountered to date have included commercial viability, the availability of equipment and the lack of expertise, though GSMA’s research suggests that the rising price of diesel and falling cost of renewable energy equipment means that operators investing in ecological energy sources for base stations could recoup their capital costs in as little as 24 months.
The GSMA’s Development Fund is already working with several mobile telephone operators to develop renewable energy solutions for a number of base stations at a variety of geographical locations. The Development Fund has helped Digicel to begin using wind and solar power to drive 17 new base stations on the Pacific island of Vanuatu.
"As oil gets scarcer and more expensive, renewable energy will be increasingly used to drive telecommunications networks in places in which there is no available access to the power grid”, says John Delves, CEO of Digicel Vanuatu. "Using alternative energy solutions, such as taking power from the wind or the sun, will help us to bring down our operating costs and reduce our impact on the environment, meaning that people on some of the more remote islands of Vanuatu will have access to communications for the very first time".
Following a successful joint pilot scheme between GSMA’s Development Fund and Ericsson, Idea Cellular now uses waste cooking oil to supply energy to more than 350 base stations in the state of Andhra Pradesh in India, where the conventional electricity supply can be erratic. Base stations are powered by a mixture of 80% diesel and 20% waste cooking oil.
"If we can ensure sufficient amounts of vegetable oil from sustainable sources we will move up to a mixture of 50% diesel and 50% bio-fuel, which will be better for the environment while also reducing our operating costs”, explains Anil K Tandan, Idea’s Director of Technology. "We are also exploring other alternative energy sources while at the same time trying to ensure that our mobile telephone network remains reliable, sustainable and profitable".
The main base station suppliers have anticipated the growing demand for ecological networks and introduced a series of low-consumption products, along with propulsion solutions that use renewable energy. New products are also emerging that offer specific, personalised energy solutions for base stations. GSMA is developing an indicator system for “ecological” base stations to assist operators in their decisions regarding suppliers and products.
As well as supporting operators with its own experts in the field, the GSMA’s Development Fund has launched a web site (www.gsmworld.com/greenpower), which offers a continuing stream of information on the viability of a series of renewable energy solutions in different environments.
|