Industrial motors are the silent workhorses of modern industry. Regardless of sector or level of technological sophistication, they keep factories running and value chains moving. Yet despite their central role, they receive far less strategic attention than other industrial technologies, leaving significant opportunities for efficiency, innovation and modernisation untapped.

This is particularly true in Africa, where industrial motors account for about 70% of total electricity consumption in industrial facilities, according to a recent study supported by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) under the Energy Efficiency for Sustainable Livelihoods in Africa (EELA) Programme, funded by the Government of Sweden and implemented in partnership with the Swedish Energy Agency. Drawing on research across 15 countries in the Economic Community of West African States, East African Community and Southern African Development Community regions, the study found that much of the continent’s installed motor stock remains concentrated in lower-efficiency classes, IE0 and IE1, on a scale that runs up to IE5. 

The evidence is not only a technical finding, but one with significant implications for industrial competitiveness. At a factory level, energy-efficient motors can reduce electricity consumption by 15% to 30%, while each step in International Efficiency (IE) class can typically lower motor energy consumption by about 20%. For a business, that means lowering energy costs, less exposure to price volatility, and freed-up resources that can fund new jobs and investments.  

The macro-economic case is just as strong. According to the study, it is estimated that moving only one efficiency class higher could save about 5% of a country’s electricity and generate more than $1.8-billion in yearly energy-cost savings. With demand rising on the back of economic growth, demographic change and urbanisation, industrial efficiency can help strengthen both energy access and energy security.

For policymakers and industrial leaders, the issue is therefore not only technical. Motor efficiency sits at the intersection of energy security, industrial competitiveness and climate action. Treating efficient motors as a mainstream industrial investment can help countries reduce pressure on power systems while strengthening productivity across factories and supply chains. 

Energy professionals may already be aware of this potential, but it is less clear how the perceived barriers can be overcome, including the availability of efficient technologies, upfront costs and access to finance.Here, the evidence cited in the study is encouraging. Higher-efficiency motors are already commercially available and increasingly familiar to suppliers and users. Fleets are also ageing, which creates a natural replacement opportunity. In Kenya, Zambia and Zimbabwe, where UNIDO assessed 157 industrial facilities and more than 40 000 motors, 60% to 62% of motors are more than five years old, and roughly 27% in Kenya, 32% in Zambia and 35% in Zimbabwe are more than ten years old.

The economics are compelling too. The study finds that many IE0 and IE1 motors can be replaced by IE3 models with payback periods of typically around three years, making them an attractive investment for industrial users. Importantly, the opportunity is not confined to a handful of large installations. The study found that about 70% of the assessed motor stock in Kenya, Zambia and Zimbabwe consists of motors below 75 kW, indicating that efficiency gains can be captured through thousands of routine replacement decisions across industrial facilities.

The question, then, is no longer whether efficient motors are available, but whether industry is moving fast enough to capture their benefits. The window of opportunity is open. Much of the assessed motor stock is approaching the point where replacement decisions must be made in the normal course of operations. Facilities need not scrap functioning equipment prematurely, nor delay action while waiting for a new generation of breakthrough technologies. In many cases, replacement decisions can also become an opportunity not only to adopt more efficient motors but also to optimise wider motor-driven systems through improved controls, variable-speed drives and better system design. In this sense, efficiency becomes less a question of technological disruption and more one of operational strategy.

The implications reach beyond individual factories. As industrial activity expands across Africa, decisions made today about motors and motor-driven systems will shape energy consumption for years to come. A more efficient motor base can help industries stay competitive amid rising demand, while supporting energy security and curbing emissions from industrial growth. Growing demand for efficient motors, maintenance, system optimisation and technical expertise can also open new opportunities for suppliers, engineers and service providers across regional markets.

By Karin Reiss-Haimbala is an Industrial Development Officer in UNIDO’s Division of Energy and Climate Action. She leads sustainable energy programmes across Sub-Saharan Africa, focusing on accelerating energy efficiency investments, regional energy market integration, and energy technology supply and value chains.