Question : Use of Renewable Energy

(a) whether the Government is promoting the use of renewable energy in telecom sector;

(b) if so, the details thereof including the directives issued by the Government in this regard;

(c) whether nearly 10 million tonnes of annual carbon dioxide emissions are solely due to diesel used on mobile tower sites and if so, the details thereof and the steps taken by the Government to control these emissions;

(d) whether the Department of Telecom has proposed setting up of a joint task force with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) to promote green technology in the sector and if so, the details thereof;

(e) whether the Government has evolved a carbon credit policy for mobile phone companies in addition to evaluating the techno-commercial feasibility of powering telecom towers with green or renewable energy and if so, the details thereof; and

(f) the other steps taken by the Government to promote green technology in telecom sector?

MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMUNICATIONS,
HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT AND
ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
(SHRI SANJAY DHOTRE)

(a) to (c) Yes Sir. The Government is promoting the use of renewable energy in telecom sector. Department of Telecommunications has issued, inter alia, the following directions to the Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) for use of Renewable Energy Technologies (RETs):

(i) The TSPs should voluntarily adopt the RET solutions, energy efficient equipments and high capacity fast charging storage solutions etc. to meet the target for reduction of Carbon Footprint.

(ii) The Service Providers would adopt a Voluntary Code of Practice encompassing energy efficient Network Planning, infra-sharing, deployment of energy efficient technologies and adoption of Renewable Energy Technology (RET).

(iii) Service providers should evolve a ‘Carbon Credit Policy’ in line with carbon credit norms with the objective of achieving the reduction in carbon footprint target. The ultimate objective of achieving a maximum 50% over the carbon footprint levels of the base year in rural areas and achieving a maximum of 66% over the carbon footprint levels of the Base Year in urban area by the year 2020.

(iv) The target for reduction in ‘Average Carbon Emission (tonnes of CO2e per unit Petabyte)’ is 30% by the year 2019-20 and 40% by the year 2022-23, taking base year as 2011-12.

With respect to annual carbon dioxide emissions solely due to diesel used on mobile tower site, no data is available presently. Some industry reports, available in public domain, indicate that annual carbon dioxide emissions solely due to diesel used on mobile tower sites is nearly 10 million tonnes. In the direction issued by the Department of Telecommunications, TSPs have been asked to submit the Carbon Footprint report on self-certification basis.

(d) Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has provided a copy of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to be entered with the Department of Telecommunications for Joint Working Group to suggest Renewable Energy Solutions for Telecom Towers. The objective of the MoU is to explore opportunity to reduce the consumption of conventional fossil fuel energy used in the Telecom Towers with renewable energy and help in achieving the clean energy targets of the country.

(e) Sir, as mentioned above, service providers have been asked to evolve a ‘Carbon Credit Policy’ in line with carbon credit norms with the objective of achieving the reduction in carbon footprint target.

(f) Telecom Engineering Center (TEC) under Department of Telecommunications has been asked to set up the model lab facility for certification of telecom products, equipments and service on the basis of Energy Consumption Rating (ECR) and finalize the ‘ECR document’ delineating the test procedures and the measurement methodologies utilized. TEC has also been asked to make necessary provisions mandating that all telecom products, equipments and services in the telecom network to be Energy and performance assessed and certified “Green Passport” utilizing the ECR rating and the Energy Passport determined.

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