Dhaka, Sept 6 (UNB)- Grameenphone Ltd. signed agreements with three solar power producing companies for purchasing solar power to operate 140 of it’s off-grid base station sites Sunday).

Grameenphone is the first telecommunication company in Bangladesh to deploy solar power I a large scale under power purchase agreement, said a press release.

Oddvar Hesjedal, Chief Executive Officer of Grameenphone, MA Reaz, Director Marketing, Cosmos Energy Service, Mohammad Ali Sarker, Managing Director, InGen Technology and Amajit Gupta, Executive VP, Head of Sales and Marketing-South Asia, Acme Tele Power signed the agreements on behalf of their respective organizations.

Tanveer Mohammad, Chief Technology Officer of Grameenphone and other senior officials of the company were present on the occasion.

Under the agreements the suppliers will install solar panels in Grameenphone’s Base Transceiver Station (BTS) premises and maintain them. Grameenphone will buy electricity on unit (Kwh) consumption basis for a contract period of 10 years with a buy back option after that period.

Grameenphone will deploy solar power in 140 sites by the end of 2010. When completed, up to 1.15 million liters of diesel fuel will be saved per year and annual carbon emission will be reduced by 3062 tones.

Speaking on the occasion Grameenphone CEO said, “We are targeting to create the largest solar-powered cell network in the region. We are very committed towards the “Green” revolution in network part and we look at it in a business viable mode to gain long term sustainability”.

Grameenphone has been experimenting with renewable energy for last few years and installed 14 solar powered and 1 wind powered BTS during that time. The company’s green initiatives were acclaimed internationally and it won ”Green Mobile award” at the GSMA Asia Mobile awards 2009.