Top of form du wins green award

du is proud to announce that it is the recipient of The Green Award from the Asia Communication Awards in recognition of its extensive green initiatives. The success of the hybrid solutions installed in 137 of its base transceiver station (BTS) sites was particularly favoured. The award was received by AbdulMajid Harmoodi, director of the Electro Mechanical Division of du, during a ceremony held at the Conrad Centennial, Singapore. Hybrid solutions Amongst its many environmental sustainability schemes, du began converting its off-grid sites to smart energy hybrid solutions in 2011 in line with the UAE Government's strategy on sustainable energy. The hybrid power solution uses a combination of cyclic batteries and diesel generators with a smart energy management controller that switches from one to the other upon the depletion of the battery. When the battery is recharged, the controller reverts from the diesel generator to the battery once more. Since the project's initiation, du has reduced its annual diesel consumption by 1.8 million litres, and produced 4500 tonnes less of CO2 emissions. The company plans to convert 72 more sites in 2013, with the annual reduction expected to increase to 20% by the end of this year. By the end of 2014, du expects a total reduction in diesel consumption of 6 million litres, and 15,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions. – The Gulf Today