/ 4 June 2010

Green, cellular and safe

Most innovative environmental strategy award, commendation: Afrox.

Can cellphone towers be environmentally friendly? Most people wouldn’t think so but a new product, PowerCube, aims to be.

Pioneered by Afrox, in collaboration with a start-up company, Diverse Energy, PowerCube uses ammonia instead of diesel to power cellular telecommunications towers.

Cellphone towers not on the electricity grid are normally powered by twin diesel generators. PowerCube is a revolutionary alternative because its fuel cells are powered by a renewable resource. Afrox hopes its trail-blazing project will benefit consumers, rural communities and the planet. It looks as if it will make good business sense, too.

PowerCube promises an 80% reduction in greenhouse gases, a 50% cutback in fuel costs for cellphone operators and spin-offs for local communities. Other benefits for cellphone operators include a 60% to 70% reduction in maintenance costs and a 35% decrease in replacement costs.

Afrox’s infrastructure of branches, trucks and tankers in sub-Saharan Africa is well geared to provide a reliable supply of ammonia. It is a clean, zero-carbon fuel solution for all off-grid cellphone towers.

A refuelling service is supported by the Afrox remote telemetry system which automatically notifies the distribution hub when a site needs refuelling. Afrox has safety measures in place. Its integrated management system details the requirements for the identification and assessment of hazards and risks in a business.

Each site is required to conduct a risk assessment and review the risk assessment on a regular basis. Customers and maintenance staff will not have to handle the ammonia — refuelling will be done by trained Afrox employees. Afrox conducts audits on customer sites to ensure that the installations remain in compliance with all requirements.

PowerCube has been evaluated by a major cellphone equipment manufacturer and the national hydrogen and fuel cell laboratory in the United Kingdom will provide an independent evaluation of efficiency claims. The project aims to cut the total cost of owning diesel generators, with a two-year pay-back, by 25%.