Today, India has nearly a billion* mobile phone subscribers served by over 400,000 telecommunication towers. Approximately 70 per cent of these telecom sites can be without grid power for more than eight hours a day due to unreliable electricity supply. Backup power supply is currently serviced by diesel generators and batteries. For emerging economies like India, hydrogen based fuel cell systems provide an opportunity to both reduce operating

costs and increase environmental performance relative to that of traditional diesel generators.

Hydrogen Fuel Cells for Backup Power

Intelligent Energy’s hydrogen fuel cell power system has been designed for modularity and scalability and is currently available in 1kW to 6kW configurations. All configurations are

packaged in the same way for economy and ease of use.

Deployments in India

Intelligent Energy deployed its first system into service at a telecommunications site in July 2011 in Haryana, India.

Deploying Hydrogen Based Fuel Cell Systems for Telecom Towers in India

Case Study Fuel Cell Power Systems

Tower Sites Profile Summary

Intelligent Energy has deployed hydrogen fuel cell units based on its AC64 technology across multiple tower sites in Western Uttar Pradesh, India.

• A mix of on-grid and off-grid sites• 300/400/600Ah telecom battery bank• Daily average grid power availability <12 hours (for sites

with electricity)• Ambient temperature range: 5°C (min), 47°C (max)• Humidity range: lowest 7% RH, heavy rains during the

monsoon season

System Installation Details

In a conventional telecom site, all the equipment is powered by grid supply. When the grid power is unavailable, the battery bank supports the site load until it reaches a certain depth of discharge and then the diesel generator is switched on. Monitoring the DC voltage and starting the diesel generator on time is crucial to ensuring uninterrupted power supply to the telecom site.

The hydrogen fuel cell (HFC) power system is connected in parallel to the battery bank and grid supply. It constantly monitors the DC voltage and can be configured to start automatically when required. The HFC system is capable of generating power 24/7, while its modular design ensures capability of handling dynamic load requirements. When the grid power supply resumes, the fuel cell system automatically stops generating power and the tower resumes operation via the grid supply, ensuring uninterrupted site operation.

The hydrogen cylinders are replenished when required based on the site load demand.

System Performance and Reliability

Since installation, the HFC systems have helped to maintain the required uptime at the tower sites with generation in the tens of MWhr scale. The systems have performed well in Indian tropical climatic conditions and successfully powered a mixture of sites for 15 months providing either prime power (24/7) or supporting weak grid sites.

A remote monitoring system has been installed in all of the sites. A centralised support centre monitors the site 24/7 enabling us to manage passive assets as well as plan for routine and maintenance activities, including replenishing hydrogen cyclinders.

Field Trial Statistics• 7 sites were operational in India, with

one site operating for over a year

• 3 sites were completely off grid (FC provided prime power 24/7)

• 4 sites with weak grid where FC provided back-up

• Nearly 50,000 run hours

• Tower up time was almost 100%

• Total clean energy produced 49.6MWh

• Estimated diesel saving of around 64,000 litres

• 183 tonnes of CO2 emission eliminated

Information as at 31 October 2016

Features and Benefits:

• Lower operating costs

• Lower fuel costs

• Lower life cycle costs*

• Zero emission

• Modular scalability from 1kW to 6kW

• Proven fuel cell system technology

• Quiet operation

* When compared to diesel generators

Applications• Telecommunications

• Off grid power

• Disaster recovery

• Critical services

• Micro-grids

+44 (0) 1509 271 271 sales@intelligent-energy.com intelligent-energy.com

© Intelligent Energy Limited 2017. All Rights Reserved. The Intelligent Energy name, logo, and other trade brands/names referenced herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intelligent Energy Ltd or its group companies.

* http://trak.in/tags/business/2016/01/05/indian-telecom-stats-1billion-mobile-subscriber-base/

Disclaimer: The information contained in this publication is intended only as a guide and is subject to change as a result of the constant evolution of Intelligent Energy’s business and its technology. This publication and its contents (i) are not definitive or contractually binding; (ii) do not include all details which may be relevant to particular circumstances; and (iii) should not be regarded as being a complete source of information. To the fullest extent permitted by law, Intelligent Energy offers no warranty as to the accuracy of the content of this publication, shall not be liable for the content of this publication and no element of this publication shall form the basis of any contractual relationship with a third party or be used by any third party as the basis for its decision to enter into a contractual relationship with Intelligent Energy. Published by: Intelligent Energy Ltd, Charnwood Building, Holywell Park, Ashby Road, Loughborough LE11 3GB (Registered in England with company number: 03958217). Printed March 2017. (1KWDS0117DH)