Namibia’s Green Industrialisation Agenda has received a significant boost with the announcement of four new Team Europe initiatives, collectively amounting to EURO 36, 9 million (approximately N$706 million).
The initiatives were announced and signed on the sidelines of the inaugural Global African Hydrogen Summit (GAH2S) held in Windhoek in September.
European Union Commissioner for Energy, Kadri Simson said the new initiatives reaffirm the commitment under the EU Global Gateway Strategy and by Team Europe to support Namibia in realising the late President Hage Geingob’s vision of becoming a global hub for green hydrogen production and a leader in the global decarbonisation agenda.
“These initiatives also mark critical milestones in the implementation of the Strategic Partnership on Green Hydrogen and CRM Value Chains, signed in 2022. They will contribute to reinforcing our commercial relations in the green hydrogen and critical raw materials sectors, increase employment opportunities in Namibia and help both Namibia and the EU undergo their green transitions,” said Simson.
An amount of Euro 25 million (about N$478 million) in grants will be made available by the EU to support the Namibian Green Industrialisation Agenda. This contribution aims to leverage many public and private sector investments across the hydrogen value chain, from production to transportation and storage, as well as downstream industries.
In developing a sustainable green hydrogen value chain, the EU grants will seek to increase local value addition, thereby supporting Namibia as it strives to move up higher in these value chains and create additional jobs.
The “EU-GET.transform – Accelerating the Energy Transition in Namibia” project, co-financed by the EU and Germany, will provide Euro 2.7 million (N$51.6 million) in technical assistance to support long-term energy planning, renewable energy generation, and grid integration in collaboration with key Namibian stakeholders.
German State Secretary Jochen Flasbarth said Namibia holds immense potential to lead Africa’s continental renewable energy transition.
“Through the EU-GET.transform initiative, we are honoured to support this vision. And we are committed to supporting Namibia not only in its own energy transition but also to play a significant role in the rapidly growing global green hydrogen market, as green hydrogen will play an essential role in the green and sustainable decarbonisation of the global economy. While significant progress has been made, ongoing cooperation is vital to achieve these ambitious goals,” said Flasbarth.
The third announcement highlighted a Euro 8.8 million (N$168 million) commitment from the Netherlands, Germany and the EU to support the Namibian Green Hydrogen Programme (NGHP), which is responsible for coordinating the implementation of the ambitious Namibian Green Hydrogen Strategy and the Green Industrialisation Blueprint.
Janneke Vrijland, the Deputy Ambassador of the Kingdom of Netherlands in Pretoria, emphasised the strong relationship established with Namibia, which will continue to facilitate the realisation of the NGHP. The contribution from the European partners will help the NGHP to fulfil its key mandate: to create a conducive environment for investment, technology development, and market development to harness the country’s renewable energy potential and to position Namibia as a global leader in the production and export of green hydrogen.
James Mnyupe, the Green Hydrogen Commissioner and Head of the NGHP, said: “The support from our EU partners will not only drive the development of Namibia’s green hydrogen industry but also contribute to our broader goals of economic diversification, Green Industrialisation, and more importantly, creating sustainable jobs for our youth and beyond.”
Germany’s BMWK and Namibia’s Ministry of Industrialisation and Trade signed an institutional partnership to develop a regulatory framework and quality infrastructure for Namibia’s Green Hydrogen Economy. The agreement will see an injection of a further Euro 430,000 (N$8.2 million) into Namibia’s Green Industrialisation agenda.
Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action Michael Kellner said: “Adherence to international standards enables seamless collaboration with the German industry and thereby improves trade relations between the two countries. The partnership between the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action and the Namibian Ministry of Industrialisation and Trade also makes tangible solutions accessible to advance strategies for the necessary tripling of global expansion in renewable energy and the infrastructure required for it. By working together, we can accelerate the development of climate-friendly infrastructure, transformative energy technologies, and the establishment of clean energy supply chains.”
In addition, Belgium through its development agency Enabel, is mobilising the world-renowned ecosystem of Belgian public and private expertise in the field of green hydrogen.
