Smart Hydrogen Supply Chain Supported Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell in Telecom Tower Power Backup

Unreliable electrical grid supply is one of the biggest challenges faced by the rapidly growing telecom tower industry in India. Among the ~ 606000 mobile towers installed in India, many towers face electrical grid outages for long hours, especially in the remote area. Telecom tower operators currently use diesel generators, batteries, and a variety of power management equipment to address the demand-supply gap. The resulting energy costs alone account for 25% of the total network operating costs, affecting the profitability of the operators. Further, the Government’s directive to adopt carbon free options for this sector has propelled adaptation of renewable energy based storage options. Hence, was proposed to address the issue by integrating a Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) with telecommunication towers as power backup devices. Geo Specific consideration incorporated for the hydrogen supply source for the PEMFC will address its techno-economic features. The proposed  modus operandi targets penetration of the renewables and demonstrate an energy efficient model, namely, Renewable energy aided hydrogen production through electrochemical methanol reforming,  Recycled methanol as methanol chemical reformer feed and  bottled hydrogen.