Japanese mobile phone operator NTT Docomo recently unveiled the country's first-ever trial of a self-powered hydropower cellular base station, Renewable Energy Magazine reported.
The company aims to utilize the technology to help power mobile communications networks by 2025. This is all part of a larger commitment by Docomo to reach net zero for planet-warming pollution from its operations by 2030 and from its entire supply chain by 2040.
The system utilizes a jet turbine with a nozzle that emits a stream of water, which rotates the turbine and generates electricity. It can be set up in irrigation canals and similar waterways.
Most hydroelectric power systems have separate turbines and nozzles, but combining the two makes it "so simple it can be manufactured with a 3D printer," according to the publication.
Currently, Docomo's green base stations chiefly use solar power. The hydropower base station aims to supply clean energy in places where solar is not practical, including rural areas.
As detailed by Renewable Energy, mobile communications base stations currently account for around 70% of Docomo's power consumption in the country. By moving toward renewable energy, the company is helping to reduce its planet-warming pollution.
This is a win for clean air — the burning of dirty energy sources releases pollutants that can lead to early death, heart attacks, respiratory disorders, stroke, and asthma when inhaled, according to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. This pollution has also been linked to autism and Alzheimer's disease.
Plus, these dirty fuels are also the source of more than 75% of planet-warming pollution, according to the United Nations. As our world warms up, we face increasing risks from more frequent and severe natural disasters, which threaten communities and global food supplies.
Docomo is not the only big corporation looking to improve its environmental footprint, however. Companies like Microsoft, Walmart, Apple, and Meta are now America's biggest corporate solar energy users. And that's not limited to businesses, either, as the Presbyterian Church is cutting all financial ties to dirty energy.
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