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This week in future tech, Nokia is hoping to make 5G base stations significantly more environmentally friendly using liquid cooling.
The first commercial deployment of a 5G liquid-cooling base station in Helsinki has proven to be a success, according to Nokia. Working with Finnish mobile operator Elisa, Nokia said its 5G AirScale base station was able to cut energy expenses by up to 30pc and lower its CO2 emissions by up to 80pc using liquid cooling.
Approximately 90pc of energy consumed by base stations is converted into waste heat, Nokia said, but liquid-cooled sites are silent, require zero maintenance and can be smaller and lighter than standard active air conditioning units.
“Nokia was first to introduce a liquid-cooled base station with the 2G, 3G and 4G base stations with Elisa in Finland,” said Tommi Uitto, president of mobile networks at Nokia.
“Now we have demonstrated the world’s first liquid-cooled AirScale 5G base station in commercial operations, making liquid cooling a reality for all network generations. This innovative solution supports operators in their quest to be more environmentally responsible while allowing them to achieve significant cost savings.”
Cork City Council to add 76 EVs to its fleet
Cork City Council said it will be replacing its diesel-powered vehicles with electric vehicles (EVs) to cut its carbon emissions, while also saving up to €700,000 per year over five years.
The Renault Kangoo, Nissan Leaf and Hyundai Kona cars will be driven by the council’s operations staff. Also, two of the cars will be used as ‘pooled vehicles’ for use by city hall-based officials who need to use a car during the working day.
Fast charging points have been installed at city hall and at council depots, with 30 additional charging points being made available to the public across the city.
The Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr John Sheehan, said: “Cork City is projected to double in size over the next 20 years, becoming the fastest growing city in the country.
“Cork will only be able to absorb this population increase yet retain our quality of life if more of us move over to sustainable modes of transport such as walking and cycling, opt for public transport or, if we can, consider EV options if we are changing our car.”
Japanese company reveals hydrogen fuel cell engine for boats
Engine manufacturer Yanmar has announced the development of a hydrogen fuel system for maritime applications based on technology developed for cars. To do this, the Japanese company signed a memorandum of understanding with auto giant Toyota to gain access to high-pressure hydrogen tanks used in the production of its Mirai car.
With a view to realising an easily installable module with superior cruising range, Yanmar said it aims to install the maritime fuel cell system on one of its own boats and then start a field demonstration test by the end of this year.
The International Maritime Organization announced a strategy in 2018 to significantly reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions from ships. It called for a peak in emissions to be reached as soon as possible, with the goal of halving all emissions by 2050 compared to 2008, and having no emissions by the end of the century.
5G connections could exceed 1bn globally by 2022
CCS Insight has published its latest 5G forecast, predicting that the number of connections will exceed 1bn by 2022 and surge to 3.2bn by 2025.
Despite significant disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the analyst firm said that China’s rush to adopt 5G – where four in every 10 handsets are now 5G-enabled – will continue its momentum in the country. But globally, the pandemic and unfolding situations could significantly alter projections.
CCS Insight expects that there will be nearly 100m 5G connections in China alone by the end of the year, increasing to 1bn by the end of 2024.
“The arrival of new chipsets and fierce competition in the shrinking global mobile phone market will lead to a quick introduction of 5G in more moderately priced smartphones in 2020,” said Marina Koytcheva, CCS Insight’s vice-president of forecasting.
“We’re going to see prices of supporting devices tumble below $400 faster than previously expected, a trend that will be instrumental in 5G becoming more accessible to a much wider demographic.”
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