#MWC22: Globe pilots off-grid network tech in remote, disaster-prone PH areas

Globe, in partnership with Huawei Technologies (HT), is piloting two off-grid green network technologies to bring connectivity to far-flung areas in the Philippines, its sustainability chief announced at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2022 in Barcelona, Spain. The MWC is the world’s most influential event for the connectivity industry.

Aligned with the global consensus and mission to achieve Net Zero Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHG) by 2050 and limit global warming to 1.5 degrees celsius, Globe was invited to speak at the MWC Barcelona this year to talk about its efforts to halve its emissions by 2030, as well as achieve Net Zero GHG Emissions by 2050, anchored on the goal to create a low-carbon optical network.

Yoly Crisanto, Globe Chief Sustainability Officer and SVP Group Corporate Communications, made the announcement during her talk on “Building a Green, Low-Carbon Network” at the Global Digital Power forum, one of the main events at the MWC 2022.

“Today in the mobile world there is a different conversation and it’s about power. As mobile operators, how we influence the power sector has become an important component of our business. At this point, all of us that practice sustainability and care for our planet will have to count the kilowatts, not just the megabytes,” said Crisanto in her presentation.

In her talk, Crisanto shared Globe’s best practices on carbon reduction strategies. She also highlighted the business value brought by digital and intelligent green technologies.

Globe is piloting a solar solution for rural areas with limited or no access to digital technology. This system is able to use six solar panels as power source and non-line-of-sight wireless backhaul technology via cellular relay to reach challenging terrains such as mountains and valleys.

“For off-grid communities, we need to serve them and connect them as well. So we are piloting off grid solutions using only solar energy,” Crisanto said.

Second is a hybrid power solution which includes solar panels to reduce carbon emissions from diesel fuel consumption and is targeted for deployment in off-grid sites and disaster-prone areas. This intelligent alternative solution provides reliable power supply using solar power as an initial source before shifting to diesel fuel.

“For disaster response, we need to harness solar before the gensets run on diesel fuel or even batteries,” said Crisanto, noting how carbon emissions rise during typhoons and other natural disasters when commercial power becomes unavailable for prolonged periods of time.

To further manage Globe’s climate impact, HT has introduced green technologies that can be implemented to help transform Globe’s cell sites, hubs, corporate offices, and data centers into low greenhouse gas (GHG) emission facilities.

The green technologies the company has integrated include fully modular designs for on-demand deployment and flexible expansion, intelligent power supply incorporating lithium-ion battery, digital components, real-time status visualization, and efficient systems maintenance.

Globe has also partnered with key industry experts to guide and support its Climate Action strategy. The company has started its decarbonization journey by shifting its high-energy utilization facilities to renewable energy through Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) bundled with Verified Emission Reduction (VER) certificates. Since 2014, it has also deployed fuel cell systems, direct current and DC-Hybrid generators, lithium-Ion batteries, and free cooling systems in its network.

The Global Digital Power Forum at the MWC Barcelona was organized by Huawei Digital Power in collaboration with the Global e-Sustainability Initiative (GeSI) and Union Española Fotovoltaica (UNEF).

Globe is the first and only publicly-listed company in the Philippines committed to setting science-based targets aligned with the 1.5 degrees Celsius goal of the Paris Agreement, which aims to keep global warming below catastrophic levels and achieve Net Zero GHG emissions.

It also joined Race to Zero, a UN-backed global campaign to halve global emissions by 2030 and deliver a healthier, fairer zero-carbon world by 2050.

Globe strongly supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly UN SDG No. 9, which highlights the roles of infrastructure and innovation as crucial drivers of economic growth and development, and UN SDG No. 13, which seeks urgent action against climate change and its impacts. Globe is committed to upholding the 10 United Nations Global Compact principles and 10 UN SDGs.

To learn more about Globe, visit www.globe.com.ph.