Airtel Deploys Solar Powered Base Stations in Nigeria

Bharti Airtel today announced a contract with Ericsson to upgrade an initial batch of 250 diesel powered base stations in Nigeria with E-site, a new “green” energy solution.

The ‘green’ mobile initiative will improve operations and minimize baase stations’ environmental impact.

The E-site solution will enable Airtel harness solar energy to power mobile base stations across Nigeria. E-site has been developed and manufactured by Flexenclosure, a specialist provider of intelligent site power management solutions for off-grid base station sites. The solution has been tested by Airtel in Kenya for close to two years and has proven to substantially reduce diesel consumption and CO2 emissions when compared to a 24/7 diesel powered site.

The E-site is mainly powered by renewable energy sources (sun and wind) and uses a battery bank for storage of energy. The wind turbines have been modified and perfected for this particular purpose. E-site’s sophisticated control system ensures that maximum power is captured from the renewable energy sources and that the use of the battery bank is highly efficient. Under the agreement, Ericsson will be responsible for implementation and maintenance services for all the sites.