Kenya Power sets up electric automobile charging stations for vehicles

Kenya Power is now set to roll out electric automobile charging stations, dubbed E-mobility services across the country, beginning with Nairobi and Nakuru.

The Utility provider has announced in an Expression of Interest (EOI) dated August 2nd 2022, inviting relevant partners to assist in 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 is set to begin in September, after the company stated that the implementation will run for the next six months to March 2023. After the concept phase is successful, the company intends to scale up to the rest of the country within the next two years.

According to the notice, the proposed ENIS will include; charging infrastructure; a billing and payment system; and a service management for customers.

If effectively implemented, Kenya Power projects that the venture into E-mobility service provision can generate revenue of up to Sh120million per day from the charging stations, terming it as a potential venture.

In March 2022, during the launch of the electric vehicle start-up BasiGo’s Sh5 million bus, the company CEO Rosemary Oduor stated that Kenya Power has the capacity to supply electricity to charge 50,000 buses and two million motorcycles during off-peak hours.

The move is a positive step towards going green, reducing carbon emissions and endorsing 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 is also proven to be cheaper than the current use of conventional fuel, be it petrol or diesel.