UK-based energy technology startup, Intelligent Energy has recently announced it will purchase contracts from GTL Limited (Global Group Enterprise) to supply energy-management services across more than 27,400 telecom towers in India using hydrogen fuel cells. GTL is a leading Network Services company, offering services and solutions to address the Network Life Cycle requirements of Telecom Operators, Technology providers (OEM’s) and Tower Companies.
The deal will see Essential Energy, a subsidiary of Intelligent Energy in India, assuming the power management for over 27,400 mobile telecom towers; a figure equivalent to 50 per cent of the U.K.’s telecom towers and 13 per cent of the U.S’. Essential Energy intends to transition around 70 per cent of the managed telecom towers from diesel power to hydrogen fuel cells throughout their contracts’ tenure.
The hydrogen fuel cells energy source are expected to be more efficient and cleaner and can be more economical on a total cost of ownership basis than diesel generators.
According to Intelligent Energy, over 70% of India’s circa 425,000 telecom towers experience power outages of approximately eight hours per day leaving nearly half of the country’s 935 million mobile phone users frequently disconnected for extended periods. Diesel generators are currently the main back-up power source, but as a fuel, diesel is costly, inefficient, and emits high levels of CO2, NOx and harmful carcinogenic particulate emissions, said the company.
Henri Winand, CEO of Intelligent Energy Holdings
This transaction delivers contracted revenues of approximately £1.2 billion over ten years, which is a major development for Intelligent Energy and the industry. Our technology will not only help to bring a stable, reliable power supply to these towers, it will also demonstrate the full power of hydrogen fuel cells today, and in the future.
