The GSMA has announced that its Green Power for Mobile (GPM) programme is working with the International Finance Corp. (IFC), the private sector arm of the World Bank Group, to support mobile operators in exploring the use of renewable energy base stations as a means of optimizing capital and operating expenditures.
Through this collaboration, mobile operators in developing markets can benefit from technical assistance programmes, market research, and knowledge sharing programmes to help them implement large scale renewable energy powered networks. The overall goal is to make cost-effective renewable energy solutions a widely used power source for off-grid locations by 2012.
The initiative offers a direct way to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy in off-grid parts of the developing world. IFC plans to identify and pursue green power investments that expand the mobile industry’s use of renewable energy powered networks in developing countries. The corporation will act independently as an anchored investor, offering mobile operators in developing countries a variety of financial instruments to enable the implementation of viable business models that leverage renewable power for long-term efficiency gains.
Through the relationship, GPM will offer a Feasibility Study service to mobile operators with an interest in increasing their use of green power solutions. The service involves a technical and financial analysis of an operator’s base station network to identify priority candidate sites and optimum renewable energy technology, to forecast capital expenditure and return on investment, and assist with implementation planning. GPM will also be developing training curriculums to provide further technical assistance and educate mobile operators in the process of implementing renewable energy base stations.
GPM has also set up a dynamic and evolving database to monitor the progress that the industry is making towards reaching the GPM target of powering 118,000 new and existing off-grid base stations in developing countries using renewable energy sources by 2012. The industry database of green base station deployments includes details on equipment used, approximate payback period, challenges and successes, and can be viewed at www.wirelessintelligence.com/green-power.
