CAIRO: In a move that Bharti Airtel says will reduce both the company's operating costs and carbon footprint, the telecommunications operator will stop completely using diesel power to power its African networks by 2013. The move, the company said in a press statement, will make the company “greener” as well as open money for more investment in the continent. Already, through the Indian company's Hybrid Batter Bank, the company has reduced the number of sites running solely on diesel by more than 50 percent. According to Airtel, the Hybrid BatteryBanks “collect the excess energy produced by the diesel powered generator in a battery that powers the site once the generator is switched off.” It has reduced the amount of diesel being needed by up to 14 hours daily, the company added. “By 2013, the company aims to completely eradicate the constant use of diesel to power its network. This means no telecom site of the company will rely solely on diesel power 24 hours a day,” Airtel said. The telecom provides services in Congo, Gabon, Madagascar, Niger, Ghana, Kenya and Malawi among others. Nearly 60 percent of all Airtel's telecom sites on the continent are now powered using the Hybrid model resulting in “major reduction in emissions and also operating costs for the company,” it said, adding that the company “now aims to raise this to over 70 percent by end of 2013.” BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/MN3VH Tags: Airtel, Diesel Power, Stop, Will Section: Africa, Latest News, Tech
