THE FFEM SUPPORTS INNOVATION FOR A FAIR AND SUSTAINABLE ENERGY TRANSITION
published on 27 January 2025
Aware that the adoption of clean energy is an integral part of the fight against climate change, one of the priorities of the French Facility for Global Environment (FFEM) is to contribute to energy efficiency and a fair and sustainable transition.
On the occasion of the International Clean Energy Day, let us focus on the ZEMBO project, launched in Kampala in 2019 with the support of the FFEM, aimed at advancing Uganda’s energy transition through the transport sector.
On the occasion of the International Clean Energy Day, let us focus on the ZEMBO project, launched in Kampala in 2019 with the support of the FFEM, aimed at advancing Uganda’s energy transition through the transport sector.
Kampala is a city with extremely dense urban traffic: it is estimated that nearly 350,000 gas-powered motorcycle taxis, known as boda-bodas, currently circulate in its streets. While these vehicles are essential for the city’s accessibility and economic activity, they generate significant air and noise pollution, affecting the health of the local population. To mitigate these emissions, the start-up ZEMBO has been offering rentable and rechargeable electric motorcycle taxis since 2019 through a network of stations equipped with photovoltaic storage to compensate for power grid outages.
In line with its commitment to draw lessons from the projects it supports and encourage the scaling-up of innovative solutions, the FFEM is now reviewing the outcomes of the ZEMBO initiative, five years after its launch.
The evaluation shows that this initiative provides a well-adapted solution to the economic needs of the boda-boda drivers in the capital and has successfully combined vehicle development, financing solutions, and charging services, while contributing to a reduction in air pollution.
In five years, the project has accomplished the following:
- Provided a reliable and eco-friendly alternative to highly polluting gas-powered engines, significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions (thanks to Uganda’s primarily hydropower-based, low-carbon energy mix and the complementary use of photovoltaic charging stations).
- Improved the daily income of boda-boda drivers by reducing various transportation-related costs (energy costs, vehicle maintenance, etc.) and created local jobs for assembling e-bodas and manufacturing certain parts.
- Developed a business model incorporating a microcredit system, promoting financial inclusion while ensuring secure repayment.
- Encouraged a sustainable energy transition by adopting a "pay-as-you-go" approach, ensuring the traceability and responsible disposal of batteries at the end of their lifecycle.
Despite these positive impacts, some limitations have been identified. At the level of public transport policy, the transformational role of a young private mobility operator remains limited. In terms of local electric mobility offerings, battery interoperability among competitors has not yet been achieved, and the battery swapping network remains limited, far below the coverage of traditional fuel stations, reducing the attractiveness of electric solutions for motorcycle taxis.
The experience conducted alongside Zembo demonstrates that offering truly clean and affordable electric mobility solutions is possible, provided certain conditions are met: a decarbonized energy mix, electricity costs that are more attractive compared to fuel, tailored financing and payment solutions to ensure proper maintenance and battery recovery, as well as consideration of user practices (such as autonomy and ease of recharging) to overcome psychological barriers to abandoning gas-powered vehicles. In urban contexts, electric motorcycle taxis can therefore be part of the solution to air and noise pollution, as long as they are integrated into the overall organization of the transport system.
, explains Aurélie Ghueldre, project manager at FFEM.
This pilot experience of co-financing an electric mobility start-up in Africa remains a unique example for the FFEM, providing valuable insights into the mechanisms and complexities of these emerging economic models.
To scale up, cooperation between emerging players in the sector and transport authorities is crucial to expand battery swapping and charging station coverage and interoperability, address safety concerns for two-wheelers through training and equipment, and define the role of electric motorcycle taxis and two-wheelers in general within the overall transport system.
The evaluation of the ZEMBO project was conducted in August 2024 by TRANSITEC and will soon be available on our website.
