Intelligent Energy, a U.K.-based power technology company, signed a 1.2 billion pound ($1.8 billion) deal to convert 27,400 Indian telecom towers to use hydrogen fuel cell technology. The deal looks to strengthen the unreliable Indian power grid while at the same time reduce carbon emissions.
Essential Energy, an Intelligent Energy subsidiary, is set to buy contracts from GTL Limited, replacing the company’s carbon-emitting diesel generators with the fuel cell technology. Diesel generators, the main source of power for generators in India today, are costly and emits high levels of CO2, NOx and carcinogenic particulate emissions. Hydrogen fuel cells are purported to run much more efficiently and cleaner than their diesel counterpart.
Not only is this new form of power supposed to be cleaner and more efficient, but also more reliable. That’s good news for Indian telecom customers and carriers, since 70% of India’s current telecom towers experience power outages of around eight hours per day. This cuts out service for half of India’s 935 million mobile phone users every day and has escalated to the point that Indian telcos have demanded policy changes to combat dropped calls.
“This transaction delivers contracted revenues of approximately 1.2 billion pounds over 10 years, which is a major development for Intelligent Energy and the industry,” said Henri Winand, CEO of Intelligent Energy Holdings. “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.”
This is the latest large business deal and infrastructure upgrade for India, with Google recently announcing the start of a project to build the largest public Wi-Fi source in India, focused on its many train stations. Indian telco BSNL said it also plans to launch a LTE network by March.
