Namibia strategically poised to become the sustainable energy capital of Africa
The Mines and Energy Minister, Tom Alweendo officially launched the Global African Hydrogen Summit (GAH2S) in Windhoek, with representation from over 26 countries and attendance from stakeholders spanning the burgeoning hydrogen sector value chain.
This pioneering investment and multi-stakeholder engagement platform is the first of its kind on the continent and will be hosted from 3 to 5 September in Windhoek.
Alweendo reflected that climate change and energy security are inevitable challenges, with climate innovation and decarbonization being a critical response toward a more sustainable future. Hydrogen has emerged as a key solution to meet Africa’s energy needs with Namibia poised to play a pivotal role in the acceleration towards net zero.
The Minister emphasized the importance of partnerships and collaboration stating: “We understand the importance of adopting a pan-African approach to engaging with the world, aiming to explore and capitalize on the value brought by the development and implementation of all carbon technologies contributing to the realization of green industrialization and sustainable growth for African economies”.
Namibia is strategically poised to become the sustainable energy capital of Africa with the potential to produce green hydrogen at less than one and a half US dollars per kilogram. Additional advantages include an abundance of solar and wind resources, 46.7 million tons of biomass that can be harvested sustainably, and a vast, sparsely populated land mass.
James Mnyupe, Green Hydrogen Commissioner of Namibia welcomed the era of green industrialization in Namibia with “hydrogen in itself not being an end, but an accelerator towards the Government’s vision 2030.”
Nangula Uaandja, Chairperson and Chief Executive of the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board also shared the government’s ambitions for green investments as well as the importance of local content, skills development, youth engagement, and opportunities for the entire hydrogen value chain integration, including MSMEs.
Africa holds a key to decarbonizing the global energy system and can become a leading player in hydrogen made from renewables. However, there are many challenges including financing, investment, infrastructure development, policy, regulation, standards, technology, demand generation, and a fragmented financial market to trade. Therefore, partnerships and collaboration are fundamental to driving progress.
The Global African Hydrogen Summit has therefore been born out of a deep necessity (at the highest level) to solve these challenges by inclusively convening heads of state, ministers, government agencies, developers, investors, technologists, academia, youth, startups, end users and civil society to facilitate collaboration, shape policy, drive critical investment and financing, and broker deal and project closure.
Themed From Ambition to Action: Fuelling Africa’s Green Industrial Revolution, the dynamic three-day Summit will showcase pan-African projects and investment opportunities across the hydrogen, renewables, power, infrastructure, transportation, and mobility sectors.
Hosted by the government, through the Ministry of Mines & Energy, and supported by the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board as a strategic partner, the summit is projected to attract over 2000 attendees from over 65 global countries.
As the continent looks to pioneer green industrialization at scale, Hon. Alweendo reiterated: ”On behalf of the Namibian government, I hereby extend an invitation to our fellow African countries, and the rest of the world to join us at the Global Africa Hydrogen Summit in Windhoek, to exchange ideas and forge partnerships that will help us unlock the full potential of our renewable energy resources, enhance energy security on the continent and beyond.”
