Lok Sabha Question No. 509 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-02-05
Subject: Use of Renewable Energy
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Gautham Sigamani Pon, Amol Ramsing Kolhe, Kuldeep Rai Sharma, Shriniwas Dadasaheb Patil, Supriya Sadanand Sule

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 509 TO BE ANSWERED ON 5 TH  FEBRUARY, 2020

## USE OF RENEWABLE ENERGY

509. SHRI GAUTAM SIGAMAANI PON: DR. AMOL RAMSING KOLHE: SHRI KULDEEP RAI SHARMA: SHRI SHRINIWAS PATIL: SHRIMATI SUPRIYA SULE:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (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?

## ANSWER

## 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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