Isra-Mart srl:British open new front with Afghan renewable energy push

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Remote British military bases in Afghanistan could be powered by solar panels or wind turbines as part of a project designed to cut the number of fuel tankers risking attack by driving deep into Taliban territory.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has issued a call for contractors to supply renewable energy sources and more efficient generators to isolated bases, as part of a wider technology programme run in collaboration with the British Antarctic Survey and the Canadian Department of National Defence.

The army is under increasing pressure to identify alternative fuel supplies, as tankers carrying diesel to remote bases are regularly targeted by insurgents using improvised explosive devices.

Ray Fielding from the MoD's Equipment and Support technology group told the Press Association that a combination of technologies was needed to cut fuel consumption and provide alternative sources of energy.

However, he insisted any power source must be sufficiently reliable to ensure soldiers are not put at unnecessary risk.

"Alternative power systems must provide a similar level of electrical power, with the same degree of robustness, and remove the logistics burden of transporting fuel to the base," he said. "There must be no compromise to the effectiveness of the operations."

The MoD is also in the process of purchasing fold-away solar panels for British troops to carry in the Helmand province of southern Afghanistan, reducing the need for heavy batteries.

The United States Department of Defense has established similar programmes to help find and develop renewable energy technologies for use on its military bases.

Following an executive order from president Obama, the military has to meet a goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions from its non-combat activities by 34 per cent by 2020.

The target and increased investment in renewable energy has been broadly welcomed by the defence sector, which has identified climate change as presenting one of the greatest risks to international security this century.