NAIROBI, April 23 (Xinhua) -- The second edition of the Kenya Power E-Mobility Conference opened in the capital of Nairobi on Tuesday as the East African country seeks to accelerate the adoption of green modes of transportation.
The two-day e-mobility conference organized by Kenya Power, the state-owned electricity distributor, brought together more than 200 delegates, including government officials, donors, and e-mobility experts from around the world, to explore innovative and transformative solutions to decarbonize the transport sector.
In his opening remarks, Alex Wachira, principal secretary for the Kenyan Ministry of Energy and Petroleum, said the transportation sector is the second-largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for about 13 percent of total emissions.
"E-mobility is the most appropriate opportunity available to contribute to greenhouse gas mitigation and air pollution reduction, enabling the country to meet the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) commitments and the national climate change action plan," Wachira said.
Joy Brenda Masinde, chairperson of Kenya Power, said the country, with its abundant renewable energy resources, is uniquely positioned to lead the charge toward e-mobility.
She noted that increased adoption of e-mobility will not only decarbonize the transportation sector, but also reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels and improve energy security.
Kenya developed a framework for electric vehicle charging and battery swapping infrastructure in September 2023 to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) and ensure the establishment of safe, reliable, accessible, and affordable charging services.
As of December 2023, EVs accounted for 1.62 percent of the 165,913 vehicles registered in Kenya that year, with the country aiming to reach 5 percent by 2025, according to Kenya's Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority. ■