ERC convenes industry meeting following godown inferno

The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has convened an urgent stakeholders’ meeting following Monday’s incident where property worth millions of shillings was razed at several Industrial Area godowns in Nakuru.

Without apportioning blame over the lapses that led to the blast that razed down 15 lorries and several godowns filled with shop items, ERC said the workshop would address issues of licensing, electrical installations and designs of petrol stations, depots as well as petroleum transportation.

The sensitisation workshop, which will be held at Nakuru’s Merica Hotel on March 2, will target petroleum transporters, petrol depot and service station operators, electricians and electrical contractors, energy auditors, biogas, solar PV and solar water heating technicians, contractors as well as large energy consumers.

In a statement, ERC said that target operators for the one day workshop are expected to come from Nakuru, Kericho, Nyandarua, Baringo, Narok, Uasin Gishu, Elgeyo Marakwet, Laikipia and Samburu counties.

Facilitators will be drawn from the energy and petroleum ministry, county governments, Kenya Revenue Authority, Kenya Bureau of Standards, Kenya Pipeline Company, Kenya Power, Anti-Counterfeit Agency, Kenya Independent Petroleum Dealers Association (KIPEDA), LPG Exchange Pool Secretariat, electrical contractors and Renewable Energy practitioners.

The participants will be trained on safety and security challenges in the energy sector as well as on how to address compliance lapses in regulations and applicable standards in the energy sector.

Also on the agenda are safety issues regarding handling of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), employment trained renewable energy and renewable energy practitioners and petroleum product quality among others.

The cause of the fire is yet to be established and the incident is currently under investigation.