The European Union (EU) has committed N$730 million to support four new Team Europe initiatives to accelerate Namibia’s Green Industrialisation Agenda, according to The Brief Namibia report.
The initiatives highlight the collaboration between Namibia and its European partners in driving sustainable energy and green transition efforts and accelerating the creation of decent Namibian jobs in these sectors.
The funding was announced during a signing ceremony at this year’s inaugural Global African Hydrogen Summit in Windhoek, Namibia.
EU Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson said the announcement reaffirmed commitments under the EU Global Gateway Strategy.
Furthermore, she said Team Europe supports Namibia in realising the late President Geingob’s vision of becoming a global hub for green hydrogen production and a leader in the global decarbonisation agenda.
“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,” she said.
Simon noted that these initiatives also mark critical milestones in the implementation of the Strategic Partnership on Green Hydrogen and CRM Value Chains, signed in 2022.
Simson said the commitment involves €25 million (N$495 million) in grants from the European Union to support the Namibian Green Industrialisation Agenda.
“This contribution from the European Union 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 contribution 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,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Global African Hydrogen Summit also featured the signing of the project “EU-GET.transform – Accelerating the Energy Transition in Namibia” Project.
The initiative, co-financed by the EU and Germany, provides €2.7 million (N$54 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 and through the EU-GET the EU aims to support this vision.
“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,” he said.
The third initiative comprises a €8.8 million (N$174 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.
Deputy Ambassador of the Kingdom of Netherlands in Pretoria Janneke Vrijland said the strong relationship established with Namibia, which will continue to facilitate the realisation of the NGHP.
“The substantial 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,” she said.
Meanwhile, James Mnyupe, Green Hydrogen Commissioner and Head of the NGHP, remarked that the support from the 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.”
During the Summit, Germany’s BMWK and Namibia’s Ministry of Industrialisation and Trade also signed into an institutional partnership to develop a regulatory framework and quality infrastructure for Namibia’s Green Hydrogen Economy.
This includes an investment in quality infrastructure for GH2 of around €430,000 (N$8.5 million).
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,” Kellner noted.