The East African country has experienced a five-fold growth in EV registrations – increasing from 475 vehicles in 2022 to 2,694 in 2023.
The country’s Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority’s (EPRA) recorded that this number was reached between July and December 2023.
Kenya’s National Transport and Safety Authority reported that this number had increased to 4,163 EVs (as of February 2024).
This growth is underpinned by government policy incentives through tax deductions for the sector as well as the National E-Mobility Strategy.
The Kenya E-Mobility Battery Initiative’s (KeEBI) Baseline Report examines the policies, infrastructure and technological advancements driving this growth and provides recommendations to position Kenya as a regional leader in EV battery innovation and recycling.
It offers an analysis of Kenya’s EV battery sector, focusing on battery lifecycle management, circular economy practices and state-of-health monitoring.
KeEBI is supported by the ClimateWorks Foundation and is led by the NGO Africa E-Mobility Alliance, who conducted research for the report.
“The primary objective of KeEBI is to develop and propose pathways for managing EV batteries beyond their first life by focusing on repurposing, reuse and recycling,” said the report.
“KeEBI aims to shed light on the potential environmental and socio-economic impact of e-mobility batteries from their subsequent life applications to the recycling value chain.”
The report highlights a nascent framework for battery repair, repurposing and recycling, with stakeholders including Enviroserve and the WEEE Centre leading efforts to manage battery end-of-life (EoL).
It also points out that Kenya has adopted regulations like the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework.
“… yet there is a critical need for more policy, finance and infrastructure to support second-life applications and eventual secondary mining of raw materials through battery recycling.”
The report also cautioned about imported second-hand EV batteries.
“Challenges in State of Health (SOH) measurement, particularly [for] imported second-hand EV batteries, emphasise the need for localised standards and affordable and certified diagnostic tools.”
The report says that the potential accumulation of EV batteries EoL in Kenya is dependent on a variety of factors.
These include:
“If not properly managed, all these factors could turn Kenya into a dumping ground for used EV batteries. Additionally, disposal of these EV batteries require stringent regulations to be met before they can be transported to recycling plants across the globe.”
Data the report gleaned from Kenya’s National Environment Management Authority, shows that of the 14,921 (licensed) waste companies in the country, only 14 are licensed to handle e-waste.
“Kenya’s current infrastructure for EV battery management presents significant technical and logistical challenges that could hinder the sustainable handling of EoL batteries.
“Existing e-waste and recycling facilities in the country have limited capacity to process EV batteries, particularly in advanced recycling techniques necessary for extracting valuable materials and safety handling toxic components.”
The report says that global advancements in SOH monitoring, recycling technologies and circular economy practices present opportunities for Kenya to adapt to its unique context.
EPRA Director-General Daniel Kiptoo told the Xinhua news agency in January that while the high cost of new EV batteries has hindered widespread adoption, repairing and repurposing used batteries makes green transport more accessible.
“EV batteries retain part of their original capacity after their automotive lifecycle and these batteries can be repurposed for solar and wind energy storage, offering a cost-effective solution for powering homes, schools, and businesses in remote areas,” he said.
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