Kenya has released a performance benchmarking study aimed at reducing greenhouse emissions in energy-intensive industries.
The study, conducted by the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA), focused on the cement, sugar, tea, dairy, flower, fast-moving consumer goods, and hospitality sectors.
The study revealed variations in energy efficiency performance among these industries. While some sectors outperformed international benchmarks, others, such as tea and sugar, lagged.
EPRA recommends adopting electricity efficiency utilization ratio benchmarks as a cost-effective way to mitigate emissions and reduce production costs.
The study will inform the establishment of energy performance benchmarks and metrics for the targeted industries.
Daniel Kiptoo Bargoria, EPRA’s Director-General, emphasized the importance of energy benchmarking in identifying inefficiencies and estimating potential energy savings.
“The benchmarks will significantly improve energy efficiency in designated facilities, ultimately lowering the overall cost of production,” he said.
By implementing these measures, EPRA aims to increase the number of companies adopting carbon reduction measures and contribute to global climate change mitigation.
The study identified opportunities for energy savings in various industries. For example, flower farms could potentially save between 0.5% and 21.8% of electrical energy by adopting benchmarks. In the cement sector, the grinding function could save up to 3.68% of total energy consumption.
EPRA plans to engage sector players in formulating industry-specific energy efficiency ratios that will be used to audit companies’ energy-saving measures.
Currently, Kenya has two active energy performance regulations: the Energy (Appliances’ Energy Performance and Labeling) Regulations 2016 and the Energy (Energy Management) Regulations 2012.
The former regulates the testing and labelling of electrical appliances, while the latter requires large energy consumers to conduct energy audits every three years.
