Namibia will host a Green Hydrogen Symposium from 26 to 28 March 2024.
The Green Hydrogen Commissioner James Mnyupe said the symposium will be held in collaboration with the Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL) and supported by the German Ministry of Education and Research.
Delegates from Botswana, Angola, South Africa, and Lesotho will gather in Windhoek to exchange insights and experiences while enhancing regional cooperation and knowledge-sharing in the green hydrogen sector.
Mnyupe also said the Namibian Green Hydrogen Programme (NGH2P) has been invited to join the International Hydrogen Trade Forum.
The forum is a pivotal platform for high-level discussions between importing and exporting nations to foster the development of global trade corridors for hydrogen and its derivatives.
Namibia recognises the forum as a significant opportunity to enhance its ongoing efforts in scaling up the trade of hydrogen and its derivatives, fostering closer collaboration with partner nations and the private sector to maximise the hydrogen trade’s environmental and socio-economic benefits.
As a forum member, Namibia will participate in the annual Ministerial Meeting and Ministerial-CEO Roundtable, which will enable Namibia to actively contribute to the global collaboration agenda for advancing the green hydrogen ecosystem.
According to Mnyupe, Namibia is one of the countries selected to benefit from the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation’s Global Programme for Hydrogen in Industry launched in 2021.
Austria, China, Germany, and Italy support the programme, which prioritises social and environmental considerations, particularly in developing nations, and aims to facilitate a just transition to hydrogen.
“Namibia is among the countries selected for this groundbreaking program, marking a significant stride towards sustainable development and environmental stewardship,” Mnyupe said in a statement on Sunday.
Germany designated Namibia’s green hydrogen programme as a strategic foreign project when that country’s minister of economy and climate action, Robert Habeck, and the vice-chancellor met Namibia’s mines minister, Tom Alweendo.
The meeting occurred during the Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue last week.
Mnyupe said Habeck expressed keen interest in bolstering cooperation between Namibia and Germany and advancing green industrial development.
“Plans for a support package for Namibia’s Green Hydrogen Programme, pending final budgetary approvals, were disclosed during their bilateral meeting,” Mnyupe said.
He added that this support package aims to fast-track Namibia’s efforts to develop Common User Infrastructure (CUI), create local hydrogen-related value chains, and facilitate public consultation and communication initiatives.
Alweendo also toured Siemens Energy’s gigawatt factory in Berlin, which showcases cutting-edge electrolyser production technologies.
Mnyupe said Siemens Energy expressed interest in exploring opportunities to assemble electrolysers in Namibia, aligning with the nation’s rapidly growing green hydrogen sector.
“This recognition underscores the project’s potential to address climate change, enhance economic resilience, and strengthen trade relationships between Germany and Namibia,” Mnyupe said.
