Kenya Power is now planning to roll out electric vehicle charging stations, known as E-mobility services, across the country, beginning with Nairobi and Nakuru.
In an Expression of Interest (EOI) dated August 2nd 2022, the utility provider invited relevant partners to assist in the implementation of the Electric Vehicle Charging System, E-Mobility Network Infrastructure System (ENIS).
“Kenya Power now intends to implement an ENIS. The system will ensure that e-mobility customers in Kenya can be served in a seamless manner countrywide where Kenya Power has grid presence,” read the notice.
The conception course will begin in September, after the company announced that the implementation will last six months, until March 2023. Following the success of the concept phase, the company plans to expand to the rest of the country within the next two years.
The proposed ENIS, according to the notice, will include charging infrastructure, a billing and payment system, and customer service management.
Kenya Power estimates that the venture into E-mobility service provision could generate up to Ksh 120 million per day from charging stations if properly implemented, classifying it as a potential venture.
During the March 2022 launch of the electric vehicle start-up BasiGo’s Sh5 million bus, CEO Rosemary Oduor stated that Kenya Power has the capacity to charge 50,000 buses and two million motorcycles during off-peak hours.
The move is a step in the right direction toward going green, lowering carbon emissions and encouraging the use of clean energy.
“Decarbonisation has however become a major global theme that is changing and driving the energy landscape today in order to achieve net zero emissions by the year 2050. Mobility, consisting of road, aviation, rail, maritime, and other forms of transportation account for 19% of Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and 2% of Nitrogen Dioxide (N2O) emissions,” stated the company.
Electric energy has also been shown to be less expensive than the current use of conventional fuel, whether gasoline or diesel.
