Pillar 1: Digitising our infrastructure
We believe that digitising our infrastructure is the first step in turning our assets more scalable and efficient. To achieve that, we deploy remote monitoring and management tools as well as modern energy metering to our macro tower sites. This strategy allows us to have a better overview of our operations and identify improvement opportunities that enrich our value offering to our customers. The importance of this pillar relies on the technical foundation for sustainability initiatives as well as energy cost assurance.
Pillar 2: Improving our energy efficiency
As a telecom tower operator, we own passive infrastructure assets that our customers need for their operation. To provide improved services, we continue investing in projects that help us optimise our power and cooling systems. We’re now running our operations more economically, while making our environmental impact lower. We’re also constantly measuring our progress using different metrics – including power usage effectiveness (PUE) – to find more ways to become even more efficient.
Pillar 3: Using renewable energy
Saving the environment and contributing to society are of utmost importance to us. As such, we’re dedicated to operating our sites in the most sustainable way possible. Our grid electricity consumption comes from 100% renewable sources, significantly reducing our carbon emissions.
Our ISO 50001 certification
To make sure the commitments stated in our three energy management pillars are properly adhered to, we coordinate our energy management department through strong governance. In this context, Vantage Towers has set different policies and controls to standardise the approach of the three pillars in energy management-related topics across our markets.
We’re proud that, in February 2023, Vantage Towers officially obtained the ISO 50001 certification on energy management in all our markets. This achievement highlights our dedication to sustainability and operational excellence. To keep up with the ISO 50001 standards and improve our performance further, we continue setting ambitious energy targets for the coming years and launch new energy projects.
Energy management projects
Vantage Towers Hungary has successfully piloted an innovative aluminium air backup system in collaboration with Phinergy. During the test phase, the system reliably provided 100% backup during planned and unplanned power outages, ensuring uninterrupted operation. The environmentally friendly technology impressed with its high energy density, zero emissions at the point of use, and safety and reliability – a forward-looking alternative to conventional lead-acid batteries. In addition, the system contributes to Vantage Towers' ESG strategy by reducing environmental impact, utilising recycled materials and strengthening resilience in regions with unstable grids.
Our second generation of EnergyContainer, which has a hydrogen engine and roof-mounted solar panels, can operate independently from traditional grids, allowing it to provide mobile cell services at remote or disaster-stricken areas in a sustainable way. Compared to similar solutions powered by diesel or LPG engines, this container comes with a higher energy output and produces lower emissions.
Learn more about this solution in our dedicated article.
This joint project with IoT.nxt perfectly represents our first pillar, the digitisation of our infrastructure. In this new smart solution, 700+ sites in Spain, Portugal and Ireland are equipped with remotely managed sensors, passive equipment and alarms. This allows us to have a better overview of the daily operations of our macro tower sites. We can also identify the root cause of a problem quicker, finding the right solution in less time. In addition, smart sites reduce the need for manual inspections and increase our overall reliability, resulting in our customers trusting us even more.
Learn more about this solution in our dedicated article.
Together with Advent Technologies, Vantage Towers deployed biomethanol fuel cells to serve as either backup or primary energy sources for our telecom towers in Greece. In contrast with diesel power generators, we managed to cut our CO2 emissions by 80% and fully eliminate the emission of nitrogen-oxides and sulphur-oxides. Aside from providing a more sustainable, environmentally friendly operation of our Greek sites, the solution also comes with a longer operating lifetime and lower maintenance costs.
Learn more about this solution in our dedicated article.