The Kenya Power and Lighting Company, KPLC, has announced a Ksh. 40 million plan to facilitate its migration from fossil-fueled vehicles to electric ones.
The Kenya Power Acting Managing Director Geoffrey Muli said the move was aimed at putting the company at the forefront of the fight against carbon emissions.
“Kenya Power intends to substantially reduce its carbon footprint by purchasing more e-vehicles in the near future, including two-wheelers and three-wheelers. We must play our rightful role to combat global warming by championing mitigation measures such as the adoption of electric motorisation,” said Muli.
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The money, which is part of the 2022/2023 budget, will also include the installation of three charging stations for the company’s use as well as a demonstration to the public and others who wish to invest in electric motorisation.
The move is among a raft of measures Kenya Power is taking to increase the uptake of electricity-powered vehicles in the country, With Mr Muli insisting that the country has adequate power ability to sustain them.
“With an installed capacity of 3077MW and an off-peak load of 1100MW, Kenya has enough power to support the entire e-mobility ecosystem,” said Muli.
The company also unveiled electric-powered motorcycles to be used by its meter readers, which has since proven viable in line with United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) recommendations.
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Kenya has been pushing to increase electric mobility as an alternative to fossil fuel usage, with the transport sector being the largest contributor to harmful emissions.
According to the Energy Regulatory Authority, EPRA, more electrification in the sector can greatly minimize emissions against the baseline by 2030.
“In Kenya, the transport sector, particularly road transportation, is one of the main sources of climate-damaging CO2 emissions. The reason for this is the predominant use of fossil fuels for vehicle propulsion systems,” says EPRA.
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