Telecoms run vast arrays of relay stations, data centres and other infrastructure that need reliable, constant power. Hydrogen fuel cells, invented in the 1800s and used in U.S. and Russian space programmes, can replace noisy, polluting diesel generators that sometimes run 24 hours a day, their proponents say.
"They are a great concept and I think that diesel generators are on their way out," said Uwe Lambrette, a partner at consultancy Oliver Wyman, who focuses on telecommunications. Telecoms need generators that can quickly power up during electricity outages, and in remote locations they are often the sole power supply. Solar and wind, which do not always provide stable power levels, are not workable, experts say.
But the technology still has barriers to overcome. The fuel is difficult to store and little infrastructure is in place for transporting it long distances from where it is produced. The cost of hydrogen is also high: roughly 10 times as much as diesel in some markets.
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