Kenya Power, State research firm eye battery manufacturing plant

Kenya Power is working with the Kenya Industrial Research and Development Institute (Kirdi) on the possibility of coming up with a battery manufacturing plant, as the electricity distributor seeks to position itself as a major player in adoption of electric vehicles. 

While Kenya Power chief executive Joseph Siror says they do not seek to crowd out the private sector in this space, he noted that the role of the company will be more of a facilitator. However, if need arises where they can provide infrastructure such as charging ports, they will step in. 

Speaking during the third Annual E-Mobility Stakeholders Forum and Expo in Nairobi, Eng Siror said Kenya Power has procured 45 electric vehicle (EV) chargers that are being deployed in selected towns - Nairobi, Nyeri, Kisumu, Nakuru, Mombasa and Voi. 

“These include six chargers that we will install at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA),” he said. “These EV chargers equipped with fast charging technology are designed to serve both our fleet and the growing number of private EV users.”

Kenya Power has three electric charging stations at their Stima Plaza offices in Nairobi. The charging is currently being offered for free. 

Eng Siror said establishing battery manufacturing capacity locally will not only reduce the cost of EVs but also create jobs and position Kenya as a hub for e-mobility innovation. “This (Kenya Power and Kirdi) initiative aligns with the government’s agenda and our commitment to building a self reliant e-mobility ecosystem,” he said. 

He however insisted that Kenya Power does not seek to overshadow the private sector who might be ="https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/business/business/article/2001518189/kenya-power-to-install-electric-vehicle-chargers-across-six-counties">interested in investing in the space<. He said it is better if the private sector can put all the infrastructure they need without additional intervention. 

“If the said private sector has all the infrastructure but no power supply, then Kenya Power will step in,” he noted.

“But there may be occasions where the private sector or participant may want to use EV vehicles but there is no infrastructure, then we can support by providing (the infrastructure).” 

Kenya Power Board Chair Joy Masinde Mdivo said they are cognisant of the economic opportunities in e-mobility, even as she noted that there is still room to develop further some of the EVs to be fit for purpose to the needs of the Kenyan market. 

“We are here not only to oversee the operations of Kenya Power but also to unlock new markets like transport electrification. The ideas talked about such as charging stations and batteries; there are some opportunities for us as a company to generate more income not just from distribution of power,” she said. 

Principal Secretary in the State Department for Energy Alex Wachira said the government seeks to have 10,000 charging stations by 2030 as one of the ways to spur adoption of EVs. 

He said the transport sector is a critical cog in Kenya actualising the Climate Change Act, which commits the country to reduce green gas emissions by 32 per cent by 2030. “Our government has priotised e-mobility as a corner stone of sustainable development,” he said adding that the State established a robust policy framework aid this transition. 

The PS noted that the government is also upping electricity infrastructure to match the demand for power to accommodate EV adoption, citing the possibility of lifting the moratorium on power purchasing agreements by Parliament by the end of this financial year. 

The moratorium has forced Kenya to buy more power from Ethiopia whenever demand increases. He said Kenya has made strides in ensuring a low carbon transport ecosystem considering that a majority of electricity in the country comes from renewable sources.

In the 2023/2024 financial year, geothermal power accounted for 26.37 per cent, hydro 24.38 per cent, thermal 17.78 per cent, solar 12.38 per cent and wind 12.19 per cent as installed capacity.

  “But if you look at what we dispatch from thermal is between seven and nine per cent at most, “ said Wachira.

The PS observed that Kenya has implemented several policies including the Kenya National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy 2020 to grow the uptake of EVs. This strategy aims to achieve a five per cent share of EVs out of the total number of vehicles registered.

“As of 2024, the total number of registered electric vehicles was 4,862 and we look forward to an increase in the number of EVs as purchasers take advantage of the e-mobility tariff’s reduced excise duty on electric vehicles from 20 to 10 per cent and ="https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/business/article/2001471423/state-banks-on-electric-vehicles-to-cut-pressure-on-public-funds">exemption of VAT on fully electric cars<,” he said. 

“Countries like Norway where EVs constitute 80 per cent of new car sales and China with  3.3 million electric cars sold in 2024, demonstrate the transformative power of electrification.”

Head of German Development Corporation Daniel Guenther said issues to do with climate change can only be tackled as a world community.