KenGen to install electric car charging facility

Kenya Electricity Generating Company PLC, popularly known as  KenGen is the leading electric power generation company in Kenya, producing about 75 percent of electricity. KenGen was incorporated in 1954 under the Kenyan Companies Act as Kenya Power Company (KPC) with the mandate to generate electricity through the development, management and operation of power plants. The shareholders of the Company later contracted East Africa Power & Lighting Company (EAP&L) to manage KPC. In 1983, EAP&L changed to Kenya Power & Lighting Company.

The Kenya Power and Lighting Company has changed from a Private Limited Company (Ltd) to a Public Limited Company (PLC),

KenGen  has plans on investing  in electric car charging system. KenGen  Strategy and Innovation Director David Muthike through a webinar said that the firm is positioning itself to the possibilities of coming up with electric public service vehicles as Kenya plans to reduce diesel and petrol cars.

“The case to have electric vehicles is there and KenGen is ready to support that with renewable energy,” said Mr Muthike in the webinar convened by Energy Society Kenya. He added that “On innovation, we are exploring to participate in manufacturing and we have also rolled out charging infrastructure with a pilot within our premises.”

However, not much details were given on the location of the pilot vehicle charging infrastructure. The project will see KenGen generate revenue from vehicle owners who will require to charge their vehicles but this is heavily dependent on the technology picking up locally.

High price of buying EVs, insufficient charging infrastructure and energy storing batteries have been cited as the main challenges for adoption and growth of the electric vehicle industry in African countries such as Kenya.Kenya has about two million vehicles and about 98 percent use petrol or diesel.

Nopea ride is the only company that offers electric services in Kenya with only close to 40 fleets of EVs and 3 charging stations, one in TRM, the Hub and the other one in two rivers.