Connecting Pakistan through the Sun

Connecting Pakistan through the Sun

Pakistan’s energy sector faces significant challenges with frequent load shedding and power shortages. At times, these shortages can be drastic.  For example, a country-wide power outage in January 2023 saw 45,000 telecom towers inoperable, cutting off connectivity in many parts of Pakistan, which is essential for millions of people to access information and services for day-to-day living.

The telecom industry, dependent on reliable and stable power delivery to maintain 24/7 connectivity to its customers, rely heavily on diesel generators to provide backup in case of electricity disruptions. According to the Alternative Energy Development Board, mobile operators are Pakistan’s largest diesel fuel consumers, using 1.2 billion litres per year. This is roughly equivalent to 500,000 trips around the Earth’s equator by an average car!

Having reliable access to off-grid energy is thus a business imperative for telco operators, and the answer lies in one of Pakistan’s most plentiful natural resources – the sun.

In 2023, only 1%[1] of Pakistan’s total electricity generation came from solar power, with the bulk of the country’s low-carbon electricity coming from hydro (24% of total). The government has set ambitious goals to increase its renewable energy share closer to 60% by 2030[2], with solar playing a crucial role in this transition.

At the launch of the first converted base station at Pind Dadan Khan, Punjab

Setting new industry standards
In April 2022, Telenor Pakistan kicked off a project to scale up renewable energy use in its base stations based on a new financing model. It was the first telecom operator in the country to deploy solar at scale through leasing solar panels from partners.  

In two years, 225 base stations have been fully converted to using solar. With fewer power interruptions, site uptime was improved by 3.9% at converted sites, translating to better customer experiences.

Diesel consumption has reduced by over three million litres so far, cutting Telenor Pakistan’s energy operating expenses in 2023 by 4.9%. In a country where electricity rates have soared by 73% in a year, this has had a positive impact to the company’s bottom line.

This initiative is significant when considering that Pakistan’s electricity demand is projected to grow by 8% annually until 2025. By reducing reliance on the grid, Telenor Pakistan is also easing the strain on the national power infrastructure.

Ahmad Usman Bhatti, Senior Sustainability Manager

“Adopting renewable energy at scale is a strategic business decision that ticks several important boxes. It helps us better manage energy costs, enhances the resilience and reliability of our network and reduces our carbon footprint. As a leading player, we have the opportunity and the duty to set new industry standards and work towards sustainable progress, without compromising the customer experience or the future of our planet,” says Ahmad Usman Bhatti, Senior Sustainability Manager at Telenor Pakistan.

Converting base stations to solar-powered ones have the added advantage of limiting the number of dangerous field visits for maintenance teams.

“More than half of Pakistan’s total land area is covered by mountains. Many of our base stations are situated in these remote areas. Our maintenance teams make an average of 5,000 trips per year to these remote sites and often must endure erratic weather conditions on these journeys, which can take up to four days. With these new solar base stations, we have reduced the number of remote site trips by almost 20%. From a health and safety perspective, it has greatly reduced the risk of workplace injuries,” says Ahmad.

Deploying AI technology
As systems were being transformed, it was also an opportunity to deploy AI to manage the base stations’ energy consumption.

The team partnered with a leading AI development company to establish remote communication between the base stations and AI platforms, allowing the team to forecast, predict and optimise energy consumption, leading to greater efficiency and sustainability.

Giving recycled batteries a second life
Converting base stations to using solar has its challenges. Apart from having to redesign the towers, the team also faced import restrictions on industrial parts, which delayed the programme launch.

Umair Hamid, Manager of Infrastructure Design and Energy Planning

“We had to rethink our approach. We went back to the drawing board and through an analysis of our equipment portfolio, we identified batteries from decommissioned towers that were initially slated for scrapping and repurposed usable cells. With some testing, we found that we can reuse them to meet required standards. The team was really energised after that, as it shows that with perseverance and some creativity, we can solve problems,” says Umair Hamid, Manager of Infrastructure Design and Energy Planning.

According to a World Bank study, increasing solar and wind capacity in Pakistan to at least 30% of total installed capacity by 2030 would resulting in fuel savings equal to US$5 billion over 20 years, increased energy security, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

As Telenor Pakistan continues to expand the use of solar across more base stations, it not only contributes to national sustainability goals but also sets a precedent for other telecom operators to follow, potentially transforming Pakistan’s energy landscape in the years to come.

[1] Source: https://ember-climate.org/countries-and-regions/countries/pakistan/

[2] Source: https://ember-climate.org/data/data-tools/global-renewable-power-target-tracker-2030/