| Work Detail |
The Southern African country wants to become a global leader in the green hydrogen and power-to-X markets The EU and Namibia have formed a partnership they say has the potential to attract N$400 billion (around $21bn) in European private investments for the Southern African country’s green hydrogen sector. On Tuesday (14 January) EU Ambassador to Namibia Ana Beatriz Martins announced that some of the seven to nine projects currently underway in the country are expected to reach final investment decisions by late 2025. These projects are spearheaded mainly by European companies. If the investment target is reached, it would double the country’s GDP. “Namibia’s green energy sector will contribute to global decarbonisation efforts, particularly in energy-intensive industries like steel and shipping. “Locally, the green industrialisation strategy will create jobs and foster economic opportunities, particularly for the youth,” Martins was quoted by local media as saying. Projects to drive green projects in Namibia Martins made these remarks during a N$42 million (around US$2.2m) grant signing ceremony with new partners aimed at promoting inclusive green growth. The EU is partnering with the Integrated Rural Development, Namibia Development Trust, Namibia Nature Foundation and Deutsche Welle Academy to strengthen civil society’s role in Namibia’s development agenda. “The three projects under this grant will enhance civil society organisations’ (CSOs) capacity to engage meaningfully in policy debates on Namibia’s fast-growing green energy and extractive industries, ensuring their economic, environmental and social sustainability,” she said. The three projects will focus on equitable growth, empowering youth, women and vulnerable groups in green energy and extractive sectors, said the EU in Namibia. Mapping out the green hydrogen sector in Namibia Namibia’s green industrialisation strategy requires more than $55bn in total investment, according to the report – A blueprint for Namibia’s green industrialisation – which was released in August 2024. That report said $40bn is needed to kickstart the green hydrogen and green manufacturing industries. And more than $15bn is needed to support regional connectivity and port developments. The Namibian government, alongside the GH2 Namibia programme, has allocated $15bn for infrastructure development. In November 2024, Namibia’s Green Industrialisation Agenda received a boost with the announcement of four new Team Europe initiatives worth around US$38m. The signing ceremony was held alongside the Global African Hydrogen Summit in Windhoek. The financial commitments included: $25m in grants of the EU to support the Namibian Green Industrialisation Agenda. $2.7m in technical assistance to support long-term energy planning, renewable energy generation, and grid integration in collaboration with key Namibian stakeholders. $9m 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. The final announcement and agreement worth around $442,000 was signed between Germany’s BMWK and Namibia’s Ministry of Industrialisation and Trade (MIT) to work on Quality Infrastructure for Green Hydrogen (GH2). This partnership focuses on creating a regulatory framework for quality and safety for GH2, developing quality infrastructure services, and facilitating national and international standardisation for the sector. Namibia’s green hydrogen ambition Namibia is strategically positioning itself to become a global leader in the green hydrogen and power-to-X (PtX) markets over the next decade. The nation aims to leverage green power and green hydrogen as pivotal elements for attracting foreign investment, enhancing energy security and supporting a just energy transition. A report released last year – Localising Green Industries in Namibia – focuses on selected sectors poised to underpin Namibia’s green industrialisation and the essential cross-cutting enablers needed to advance these sectors. |
