Greentech Lead India: Telecom infrastructure firm Viom
Networks is planning to run about 25-30 percent of its towers on alternate
resources in the next 2 years.
This is part of its efforts to create a green mobile
network and reduce carbon footprint.
“We are targetting to run over 2,000 towers on solar power in the next two
years. Our target is to run over 25-30 per cent on alternate energy sources in
the same period,” said Viom Networks President Umang Das.
Viom Networks’ solar-based projects have resulted in reduction of diesel
consumption by around 50 percent.
Viom has conducted electrolysis-based fuel cells trials and is also exploring
the possibility of using piped natural gas to run their sites, according to a
report in Economic Times.
The company operates over 38,000 towers in the country. The outcome of all
these initiatives is very encouraging and these are being appreciated by our
customers.
According to estimates, the Indian telecom tower industry has about 3.5 lakh
towers and over Rs 8,500 crore is spent a year on diesel to run these sites.
Diesel is an expensive fuel with high cost of movement as well as storage that
brings with it issues of safety and misuse. It is almost four times the cost of
electricity board power supply.
Increasing price of diesel and its misuse adds to the expenses of running the
towers.
Recently, Indian telecom regulator TRAI has made recommendations to promote use
of energy efficient technologies to reduce carbon emissions.
TRAI said in the next five years, at least 50 percent of rural towers and 33
percent of urban towers are to be powered by hybrid power (renewable energy
technologies) by 2015. Further, all telecom products, equipments and services
in the telecom network should be energy and performance assessed.