Green HydrogenHage brings the Euros

President Hage Geingob landed on Thursday after a “successful visit” to Brussels, Belgium, where he received the support of the European Union (EU), member states and financial institutions - to the tune of about N$21.3 billion - for the development of green hydrogen and critical mineral value chains in Namibia.This is the outcome of the EU-Namibia Business Forum, which was held on the sidelines of the Global Gateway initiative last week.A road map for the implementation of the partnership is detailed in an EU release. It mentioned that Geingob and EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen endorsed the guideline on Tuesday, 24 October, dedicating 1 billion Euros (N$21.3 billion) to the strategic partnership that will support sustainable raw material value chains and the renewable production of green hydrogen.The EU will also support a study of Walvis Bay to further develop Namibia&#039;s leading port as an industrial and logistics centre for the southern African region.The road map of development goals for 2025 listed the integration of value chains; collaboration for leveraging environmental, social and state governance, and mobilisation of funding for infrastructure, capacity building, training and skill development. Also in the pipeline are research and innovation, and getting regulations in line to have synthetic fuel produced locally.Critical projectsThe road map also includes the exploration and commercial development of critical mineral projects, surveys and assessment of abandoned mines in Namibia, and land use planning and management.Funding for water, rail and renewable energy infrastructure will go hand in hand with funding for port, rail and road development, and the construction of selected mining, processing and green development projects.Technical education and vocational training will enjoy European support, along with studies and joint research taking into account the entire critical mineral value chain, according to the release.Namibia&#039;s national strategy on critical minerals will be developed, while legislation on synthetic fuels will be created to develop the hydrogen and related industries, and to ensure compliance with international certification and standards.On Walvis Bay, the EU will support cooperation between the port of Antwerp and Bruges to draw up a development master plan regarding infrastructure, land use and organisation of the market.As part of the EU-Africa Global Gateway investment package, Walvis Bay - as the end point of the Maputo corridor - must facilitate European access to the 300 million-strong southern African market, it said.Core prioritiesIn a speech last Wednesday, Geingob said: "It is clear that none of the parties will settle between themselves for the exchange of unprocessed commodities. That is why adding value to Namibia&#039;s natural resources and technology transfer are core priority areas and our path&#039;s focus".He added that Namibia has an efficient management architecture, which is supported by processes, systems and institutions."Namibia is therefore well-positioned to help fill the expected global and European hydrogen supply gap and lower the cost of the net-zero transition.”Meanwhile, he seeks a set of export instruments to strengthen the Namibian synthetic fuel industry and a EU-Namibia purchase programme for new products that can be presented at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in the United Arab Emirates in December, he said.“The EU is proud to be a partner in this transformative journey towards green industrialisation. Together, we can further decarbonise our economies, create jobs and ensure a more prosperous and greener future for our societies," Von der Leyen said.

Green HydrogenHage brings the Euros

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-02

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Green HydrogenHage brings the Euros

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-02

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