Indian telecom service provider Idea Cellular has received over $1 million grant from US Trade & Development Agency (USTDA), to deploy solar hybrid methanol based fuel cell (SHMBFC) at its telecom sites.
This is for the first time that USTDA is funding a green telecom project in India.
ICF International will support Idea by undertaking a feasibility study and pilot project that will assess the technical, economic and financial feasibility of deploying SHMBFC systems that provide power to off grid telecom towers at five sites belonging to Idea.
The project aims to assist Idea Cellular’s effort to replace stationary diesel engines by demonstrating SHMBFC technology at five telecom tower sites using 2.5 and 5.0 kilowatt fuel cell units.
Himanshu Kapania, managing director, Idea Cellular said that the grant offered by the USTDA will further spur its efforts towards reducing carbon emissions from telecom infrastructure in the country.
Nearly 90 percent of Idea Cellular’s over 100,000 telecom sites are operating from shared locations which have helped the company reduce carbon emissions, and operating costs, substantially. The telecoms does not share specific details about CO2 achievements in green telecom.
Idea has undertaken several other initiatives such as the deployment of Outdoor BTSs which do not require air conditioning and lead to almost 35 percent less energy requirement. Over 44 percent of Idea sites are now outdoors. Idea uses Low Power Network Hardware, and Re-uses hardware. Over 75 percent of Idea’s BTSs procured in FY13 are 40 percent more energy efficient than the existing models.
With the support from organizations such as the USTDA, and global expertise from ICF Inc., Idea aims to undertake and execute more such energy efficient projects for CO2 emission reduction from telecom sites across India.
