Isra-Mart srl:Renewable energy gets Qatar talking

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The successful trial of a telecoms base station powered by solar and wind energy could have major ramifications for isolated communities across the Middle East and Africa, according to its developers, Vodafone and Alcatel-Lucent.

Providing mobile phone coverage in remote areas poses unique problems as off-grid base stations are generally powered by diesel generators that are costly, carbon intensive, and vulnerable to fuel theft.

"There are more than 1bn people without telecoms, not because of a telecom issue, but because of an energy issue," Frédéric Wauquiez, head of Alcatel-Lucent's alternative energy division, told BusinessGreen. "Either there is no grid or no reliable grid, or they are in a region where it is difficult to install and power a station."

However, a solution may be at hand in the form of the latest renewable energy technologies.

In a remote area of south west Qatar, a 1kW station has been carrying mobile phone traffic since January this year, with a 2.5kW turbine and 3kW solar array providing 90 per cent of its power.

It is supported by deep cycle batteries, similar to those used in a hybrid car, which when fully charged provide enough energy to run the station for two days.

Remote monitoring equipment activates an automatic switch to bring in power from the solar panels, wind turbines, battery pack or a back-up diesel generator depending on the weather conditions. Alcatel said on average the generator has run for just one hour a day since the station was installed, saving around 1,800 litres of diesel each month while also cutting carbon emissions and slashing maintenance costs.

"The total cost of the operation is significantly less than traditional stations," Gianluca Baini, vice-president of Alcatel-Lucent, told BusinessGreen.

Wauquiez added that the renewable energy equipment installed on the base station had a return on investment of around three years - although the cost of diesel in oil-rich Qatar is so low that it undermines the business case for locating the test station in the country.

Even so, the two companies are in ongoing discussions to replace current diesel stations with the new hybrid units in remote parts of Qatar, the Middle East and Africa.

Qatar's successful bid for the 2022 World Cup will also spur rapid deployment of more renewable technologies as the country aims to make good on its pledge to host a low carbon event, Vodafone said.

"There is a big opportunity here [in Qatar]," said Jenny Howe, chief technology officer at Vodafone Qatar. "There are many sites that will never have permanent power, so there's a big opportunity to employ this technology in the country across more remote areas."