Inside Kenya Power’s Commitment to Electric Mobility
Kenya Power has recently been stepping up efforts to increase the uptake of electric vehicles and motorbikes in the country (eMobility).
In line with its commitment to sustainable energy and green mobility solutions, the company announced in April last year an investment of up to KShs. 258 million over a three-year period to support the uptake of electric mobility in Kenya.
The investment focuses on two core areas: the establishment of charging infrastructure and the acquisition of electric vehicles and motorbikes for its operational needs
In principle, these two areas are entirely within the framework of the greater vision of the Government of Kenya in eliminating carbon emissions and promoting clean energy transportation solutions.
A major component of this initiative is the setting up of EV charging stations at strategic locations throughout the country. According to Kenya Power, these stations will serve both private and commercial electric vehicle users, addressing concerns over charging accessibility and range anxiety. By enhancing the charging network, Kenya Power aims to create a conducive environment for businesses and individuals to transition to electric mobility.
“The future of transport is electric, and as a Company, we are very excited to be leading the conversations around e-mobility,‘’ said Kenya Power’s Managing Director and CEO, Dr. (Eng.) Joseph Siror back in April.
‘’Alongside our need to charge our electric vehicles, we intend to use our EV charging stations to collect data that will inform the next steps of our support for the growing e-mobility industry,” he added.
To fully realize the potential of e-mobility, Kenya needs systematic investment in EV infrastructure. The Kenyan Government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), under the Fourth Medium Term Plan 2023-2027, recognizes e-mobility as a key driver of national development and environmental sustainability. The ongoing review of the Integrated National Transport Policy (INTP) further identifies electric mobility as a strategic opportunity for the transport sector.
According to Parag Mendiratta, the Regional Manager, Eastern Africa at Eaton Electrical Sector in a previous op-ed published on TechTrends, ‘’Kenya must take proactive steps to avoid this bottleneck. Building out the charging infrastructure is essential, not just in urban centers but also along highways and in rural areas.’’
‘’This will require significant investment, both from the government and private sector players,’’ he said.
In less than a year, Kenya Power said it was billing less than 100,000 units of electricity on e-mobility accounts. ‘’Today, we are billing an average of 350,000 units from the accounts, representing more than triple the growth in electricity demand from this customer segment over this period,” said Dr. (Eng.) Siror.
Additionally, Kenya Power has incorporated electric vehicles and motorbikes into its fleet. In February, 2023, the power provider announced that it will be converting its entire fleet of 2,000 fossil fuel-powered vehicles to electric in the next four years. The electric distributor plans to do this by retrofitting electric engines on the existing vehicles.
This year, the Company will hold the third E-mobility conference bringing together various players to deliberate ways to grow the country’s electric mobility industry.
