Ericsson hybrid energy cuts energy use in Uganda

Ericsson’s new hybrid energy solution for diesel and batteries has been selected by Celtel Uganda for reducing energy consumption in mobile networks outside the electricity grid and cutting network operating costs by up to 50%.

Celtel in Uganda is now converting all diesel-driven radio base station (RBS) sites outside the power grid to Ericsson’s new hybrid energy solution, which works together with all of Ericsson’s outdoor RBS cabinets. More than 100 sites have been converted to date. A typical site consumes approximately 20,000 liters of diesel annually and this new solution reduces the need for fuel by 50%. With additional savings resulting from fewer fuel deliveries being made and from less maintenance being carried out, the total cost of ownership per site is lowered still further.

Around 50% of all RBS sites in Uganda are running on diesel continuously. Many high-growth markets are dependent on diesel as their main energy source, particularly where the electricity supply is unreliable or nonexistent, such as in rural areas.

Traditional off-grid diesel solutions consist of two diesel generators working alternately. With the new hybrid energy solution, one of these diesel generators is replaced by a battery bank with specially designed batteries that can handle a large amount of charges and discharges.

Ericsson’s hybrid energy solution is a self-contained power solution that enables a parameter setting for the batteries’ optimal charging and discharging levels, thereby extending the lifetime of the battery and the generator.

“This new solution offers a more powerful battery bank in a cabinet with low-power cooling, and allows us to reduce our diesel expenses by 50%,” said Siyabonga Zulu, Operations Director, Celtel, Uganda.

“The savings are dramatic, and will allow us to extend our network cost-effectively, providing coverage to people who have never before had access.”

“Often a site is too large to be economically viable for a purely solar power solution, so this solution is an excellent choice when an operator wants to cut costs or go green,” explained Strategic product manager for Site Solutions at Ericsson, Kent Westergren.

Ericsson’s hybrid energy solution for diesel and batteries is the latest in a series of energy optimization innovations that the company is driving to help reduce total cost of ownership, while at the same time improving the environmental performance of mobile network growth worldwide.

In 2006 Ericsson reduced the power consumption of its latest generation of WCDMA base stations by 35%, and has pioneered the introduction of many alternative energy sources such as solar power and biofuels in the telecom sector, to make mobile telephony economically and environmentally sustainable in emerging markets.