Federal Research Minister Anja Karliczek and the Director General of the Namibian Planning Commission Obeth M. Kandjoze have concluded a hydrogen partnership between Germany and Namibia and signed a joint communiqué of intent (“JCoI”) for this purpose today in Windhoek and Berlin.
Federal Research Minister Anja Karliczek explains the Namibian-German cooperation on green hydrogen technologies: “There is already a race around the world for the best hydrogen technologies and the best locations for hydrogen production. From our point of view, Namibia has particularly good chances in this competition. We want to use them together. So I am proud that we are the first to formally form a hydrogen partnership with Namibia.
The Federal Ministry of Research will provide up to 40 million euros in funding from the economic and future package for cooperation within the framework of this partnership. Namibia has enormous potential for the ramp-up of a green hydrogen economy: The country has large, so far unused areas. The wind speeds in Namibia enable a particularly profitable generation of wind power.
The potential for solar power is even greater: over 3. 500 hours of sunshine annually in Namibia. That is almost twice as much as in Germany. We therefore assume that one kilo of hydrogen from Namibia will ultimately cost between 1.50 and 2 euros. That would be a worldwide peak value that could turn into a huge locational advantage for hydrogen “made in Namibia”.
The National Hydrogen Council estimates that German industry alone, excluding refineries, will have a hydrogen requirement of 1.7 million tons per year by 2030, which will continue to increase thereafter. This demand forecast shows that we need large quantities and cheap kilo prices quickly. Namibia can deliver that.
The latest report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has once again made it clear to us that we have to step up the pace when it comes to climate protection. Global warming is hitting the countries particularly hard that cause hardly any CO2 emissions – for example countries like Namibia.
However, it is precisely them that have the sun and wind, which are key factors in generating renewable energy and reducing emissions using green hydrogen. Namibia was one of the first countries in southern Africa to recognize the potential of a green hydrogen economy and wants to publish its own hydrogen strategy in November. Germany will play a central role in the implementation. ” Namibia was one of the first countries in southern Africa to recognize the potential of a green hydrogen economy and wants to publish its own hydrogen strategy in November. Germany will play a central role in the implementation. ”
Namibia was one of the first countries in southern Africa to recognize the potential of a green hydrogen economy and wants to publish its own hydrogen strategy in November. Germany will play a central role in the implementation. ”
Dr. Stefan Kaufmann Member of the Bundestag, Innovation Officer “Green Hydrogen”, adds: “A hydrogen economy will be a success above all if we use the opportunities of the energy carrier of the future jointly and internationally. This is the only way we can achieve the Paris climate protection goals. That is why international cooperation in research and innovation in green hydrogen technologies is an essential pillar of the Federal Government’s National Hydrogen Strategy. Namibia and Germany maintain close relationships. We are aware of our shared history. Together we want to shape our future powerfully. That is why I traveled to Namibia shortly after my appointment by Federal Minister Anja Karliczek and I am very pleased that our trusting, forward-looking talks have resulted in the declaration of intent signed today. We bundle our strengths to promote a green hydrogen economy for mutual benefit. Specifically, we want to carry out a feasibility study, based on this, set up German-Namibian pilot projects and promote capacity building for the training and further education of local specialists. The feasibility study is intended to show the potential of a green hydrogen economy, including innovative seawater desalination, in Namibia and export to Germany. Building on this, we want to test in pilot projects how green hydrogen can be generated and transported in Namibia. With a view to local needs, we will place a special focus on seawater desalination. At the same time, we are also looking at the opportunities for innovative seawater electrolysis, i.e. the direct generation of green hydrogen from seawater. We would also like to promote the development and exchange of specialist knowledge through exchange programs for students and specialists as well as scholarship programs for Namibian students. Because even the best technology won’t work without well-trained people! ”
Obeth M. Kandjoze, Director General of the National Planning Commission of Namibia and Chairman of the Namibian Hydrogen Council, emphasizes: “This government knows only too well that the work to combat climate change will not begin in 2030 or 2050, but today, on August 25, 2021, the day when the German and Namibian governments shake hands and say: Build today we have a future that reflects the desires of our people. The visionary leadership of this nation knows that on a planet warmer by 1.5 degrees, events that used to occur once every 50 years are 8.6 times more likely. And at 2 degrees these events will occur 13.9 times more often. This is not a world that we want to leave our children behind. Namibia is particularly vulnerable to the consequences of climate change. Two thirds of our electricity comes from hydropower, which depends on the rain and the rivers near Ruacana. 23% of our workforce depends on agriculture. Long periods of drought, as we have recently experienced, are only a harbinger of catastrophic conditions for many of our fellow citizens. We have to act now!
In view of this enormous challenge, our governments intend to offer young Namibian scientists and engineers scholarships so that they can develop their skills in Germany among like-minded people. We also intend to provide funding for feasibility studies and pilot plants that will open up competitive solutions for us with cutting-edge technologies and leverage the potential for green hydrogen in Namibia that has been identified by our scientists. ”
As the central planning authority, the National Planning Commission is directly subordinate to the office of the Namibian President Dr Hage G. Geingob and is responsible for all tasks to enable Namibia’s sustainable development.
Background:
The Federal Ministry of Education and Research ( BMBF ) is promoting the identification of suitable locations for the production of green hydrogen in Africa as part of a “Green Hydrogen Potential atlas”. First calculations show that Namibia has optimal conditions for the generation of wind and solar energy and thus also for the production of green hydrogen.
At the same time, Namibia is the driest country in the sub-Saharan region. If, under these extreme conditions, it is possible to successfully demonstrate solutions for seawater desalination and hydrogen production, these can be transferred to other regions and thus lay a basis for the global development of the hydrogen economy. Seawater desalination is therefore the focus of the German-Namibian cooperation.
Previous analyzes have already shown that desalination has only a very minor effect on the costs of hydrogen. According to the calculations, they only account for around one percent of production costs. The costs in Namibia are likely to be similarly low.
Namibia aims to export green hydrogen before 2025. Due to its low population density and moderate population growth, it will be able to meet its own demand for renewable energy and green hydrogen quickly and will reach the export threshold relatively quickly.
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