Call for more green hydrogen projects

African countries, including Namibia, have been called on to take advantage of their abundant natural resources to produce green hydrogen.

This is for these countries to become energy independent through the promotion and support of the development of zero-carbon industrialisation.

This was said by Anna Shiweda, the deputy minister of agriculture, water and land reform, when she addressed the Green Hydrogen Symposium in Windhoek on Tuesday.

She told the symposium, which is being held under the theme ‘Green Hydrogen in Practice: Green Hydrogen Pilot Projects and Youth for Green Hydrogen Scholarships’ this would in turn create both economic growth, employment and significant opportunities for energy exports.

Namibia is in the process of establishing a US$10 billion green hydrogen project near Lüderitz with the support of Germany.

“We are gathered here today because there is a widespread acknowledgement that green hydrogen is one of the solutions to combating the effects of climate change,” she told the symposium being held under the auspices of the Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (Sasscal).

“It has come to our attention that the only way to limit global warming to not more than 1,5°C, is by considering green hydrogen as a clean energy solution,” Shiweda said.

The deputy minister said African countries, specifically Southern African Development Community states, are confronted with a number of interlinked challenges, including climate change, low economic growth rates, and poverty, which a green hydrogen industry could assist in addressing.

She said since its establishment in 2010, Sasscal has successfully accomplished many activities and has indeed practically implemented many of its planned programmes and projects focusing on agriculture, woodlands and forestry, climate, biodiversity and water.

“This could not have been possible without the financial support of our development partner, Germany, through the federal ministry of education and research.

“Equally, I would like to appreciate the financial and political commitment made by Sasscal member states Angola, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zambia, which made it possible for Sasscal’s operations to continue without interruption over the years,” she said.