Bharti Airtel reduces diesel telecom sites by 50% in Africa

Bharti Airtel has decreased 50 percent of the diesel running telecom sites in Africa, over last one year.

The company achieved this by tackling the challenge of lack of grid connectivity, using innovative models such as Hybrid Battery Bank. The operator by the year 2013, aims to completely abandon the constant use of diesel to power its network, and is also working on the use of solar and wind power its telecom sites.

Hybrid Battery Banks collect the excess energy produced by the diesel powered generator in a battery that powers the site once the generator in switched off, thereby reducing the use of diesel by up to 14 hours a day.

''Our first priority is to reduce the number of sites that are completely reliant on diesel generators. We are doing this by connecting these sites to grid electricity in areas where this option is feasible. Where it is not, we are exploring alternative forms of power supply, which include Hybrid Battery Banks and solar/wind power,'' said Eben Albertyn, CTO, Bharti Airtel.

The company has said that in the last two months, 105 solar sites have already been set up in Niger, reducing the use of diesel generators from 24 hours a day to a meager 3 to 4 hours.