How much electricity will China's 5G network consume in 2030?

Under the scenario of business-estimated six million base stations in 2030, the share of electricity consumed by China's 5G networks in 2030 could reach 8.4 % of the national total power generation, causing 0.44 GtCO2 /yr CO 2 emissions.

Does China have a 5G network?

Given that China currently has the largest 5G network in the world (∼1.53 million base stations by the end of 2021, Table S1) and that base station number was projected by up to 6–8 million by 2030 (CCID Consulting, 2020), concerns are being expressed regarding 5G mobile networks' environmental effects and sustainability.

How much electricity does China use per base station?

For China, based on a single base station power's energy consumption of 11.5 KWh (Huawei, 2019), we estimate that the electricity consumed by its 5G network by 2030 will be 6.04 × 10 5 GW for 6 million base stations, the equivalents of 8.4 % of China's national total power generation in 2019, respectively.

How many 5G base stations are built in China?

As 5G serves as the foundation for the construction of new infrastructure, China, as the world leader in 5G base station construction, has already built over 1.4 million 5G base stations in 2021 alone. In the same year, 5G base stations in China produced approximately 49.2 million tons of CO 2 eq.

How does a 5G base station consume energy?

In terms of energy consumption, 5G base stations require continuous operation and stability, which leads to significant electricity consumption (Guo et al., 2022a). This power is mainly supplied by transmission equipment and auxiliary equipment, such as transformers, UPS power supplies, and cooling equipment.

What is the system boundary of 5G base station?

The system boundary of the CO 2 of 5G base station The civil construction of 5G base stations is typically carried out using the existing infrastructure of 4G base stations, resulting in less material input during the construction phase. The primary focus on carbon emission generation is during the use phase due to power consumption.