-
The Company
The Company
- Ericsson is shaping the way the world communicates. Read on to discover more about our company, its history and vision.
-
Thinking Ahead
Tech Talk
- Do you want to know what the Social Web of Things is and how we can benefit? Watch our latest Tech Talk film
Thinking Ahead
- All our insights, research, and discussions are here in one place. Use them for Thinking Ahead.
-
Your Business
- Government
- Transport Industry
- Utilities Industry
- Developer Portal
- Equipment Manufacturers
- Channel Partner Program
Your Business
- Take a closer look at how Ericsson can help your business excel in a rapidly evolving market.
-
Our Portfolio
Our Portfolio
- Find out more about Ericsson’s comprehensive portfolio of innovative products, operator solutions and services.
-
Careers
Careers
- A career with Ericsson offers outstanding opportunities for professional and personal development in a truly global organization.
- 2008 /
- April-June 08 /
Biofuels bring power to rural India
Ericsson is powering its mobile base stations in India with biofuel, as part of a joint pilot project to develop locally produced, reliable and low-carbon fuel sources.
April 23, 2008
Twenty-three base stations in rural areas in the Latur District of western India, about 150km from Mumbai, are now being powered with biodiesel produced from waste cooking oil at a plant in Hyderabad. Ericsson aims to increase the number of base stations operating on biofuel to 40-50 by the end of this year, says P. Balaji, Ericsson’s vice president for marketing and strategy in India.
The feasibility phase of the pilot project, in partnership with Idea Cellular and the GSM Association’s Development Fund, involved testing the viability of several non-edible plant-based fuels, including cotton and jatropha – a hardy plant that can be grown in arid conditions. The feasibility phase also includes establishing a viable business case and a reliable supply chain.
While the development of a supply chain for locally produced biofuels is a key project goal, the feasibility phase showed that production would require a further three to four years of development before becoming viable, Balaji says: “Jatropha is produced locally, but is not abundant enough for a sustainable supply of biodiesel.”
A local jatropha production industry would be hugely beneficial to the local community, in addition to contributing to lower carbon emissions, Balaji says: “Local production will bring socioeconomic and environmental benefits thanks to the growing demand for alternative fuel options and increasing awareness of the positive environmental impacts of biofuels.”
Jatropha is a socially responsible source of biofuel because it grows well in poor-quality soil that is unsuitable for other agricultural uses, a fact that has prompted the Indian Government to provide incentives for the production of the crop on wasteland areas. Balaji says: “Edible oil seeds are not permitted for biofuel production in India. Jatropha does not interfere with food production because it can be cultivated on land that is unsuitable for food crops. Ericsson, with the help of a local NGO, is educating local communities about these important aspects of cultivating suitable crops.”
The commercial deployment phase of the joint biofuels project started in March 2007, and Ericsson continues to bring additional mobile base stations into commercial operation as part of its commitment to making positive contributions to the communities in which it works.
Biodiesel has advantages over diesel as a power source for base stations because it provides a source of income and employment in rural areas, reducing the need for transportation and related logistics, minimizing environmental impact, and reducing operating costs for base stations through cleaner-burning fuel.
Elaine Weidman-Grunewald, director of Corporate Responsibility at Ericsson, says that despite these advantages, biofuels will not be a panacea for climate change or fuel shortages; nor will they be suitable for every market, just as solar power is not the best solution for all parts of the world.
“However, it is important to explore the economic, social and environmental viability of a number of alternative energy solutions,” she says.
