Dialog to deploy ten solar, wind- powered base stations
The GSMA today announced that it is working with Dialog Telekom to
deploy ten solar and wind-powered base stations in Sri Lanka as part of
its Green Power for Mobile programme.
The trial, which will deploy five off-grid and five on-grid base
stations, will see two sites go live this month and a further eight
sites go live in March and April this year. The goal of the trial is to
use a number of different scenarios with equipment from nine different
vendors to demonstrate the range of options available and the commercial
viability of rolling out mobile networks using renewable forms of
energy.
The base stations, which rely on a sophisticated methodology for
calculating the optimum mix between solar and wind technology, such as
the size of the wind turbine or solar panels, will save up to 109
thousand litres of diesel per annum and cut carbon emission by up to 294
tonnes.
Up to now, off-grid base stations have primarily been powered by
generators running on diesel fuel, which is increasingly expensive,
generates carbon dioxide emissions, and can be difficult to transport to
remote locations.
There are also issues with the reliability of the electricity grid in
Sri Lanka, so the trial will also investigate powering on-grid base
stations, during downtime, with renewable energy.
“Being able to utilise practical, cost effective and renewable
sources of power is crucial for operators wanting to provide a broad
range of mobile coverage, over vast rural areas, far beyond the reach of
national electricity grids,” said CEO and Board Member of the GSMA Rob
Conway.
Dialog Telekom, as part of the GSMA’s Green Power for Mobile
programme, has used a number of different scenarios to prove to the
industry that renewable energy is a real and viable alternative to
on-grid and generator power, he said.
The trial will assess the plethora of renewable energy providers in
the marketplace today, further demonstrating the viability of
non-traditional forms of power. The GSMA’s Development Fund, who
initiated the Green Power for Mobile programme, will make the results
from the trial public later this year. The nine top-tier vendors chosen
to provide the technology for the trial include BP Solar and Tenesol for
solar panels, Southwest Windpower, Bergey Windpower, Proven Energy and
Kestrel for wind turbines, PowerOasis for power controllers and remote
monitoring technology, and Exide Technologies and BYD for batteries.
“We have consistently striven to extend modern technology access to
rural communities and thereby enrich lives,” said Dr. Hans Wijayasuriya,
Group Chief Operating Officer of TM International Berhad and Group Chief
Executive of Dialog Telekom PLC. “Social and environmental
responsibilities matter to Dialog Telekom as much as economic
performance, and this trial epitomises this commitment to integrate
sustainability into our operations.”
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