EU commends Namibia’s parallel energy strategy

European Union (EU) ambassador to Namibia Ana Beatriz Martins has commended Namibia’s ambition of green industrialisation.

Martins says the parallel strategy to explore oil and green energy is an understandable economic and energy choice.

“It is a legitimate and sovereign decision of Namibia to also seek economic opportunities from the fossil fuels that are there,” she said yesterday.

Namibia aims to utilise its oil wealth to seek economic development and prepare for a renewable energy transition as it lays the foundation for the green hydrogen industry.

President Hage Geingob on Monday said the country will not overlook its oil resources as it strives for green hydrogen.

“There is no contradiction; we can get oil now. It will be our immediate source for the next 10 years.

But green hydrogen is a future, long-term climate mitigation source that the world is looking to, and that Namibia is leading. We should be proud of that,” he said.

The EU and Namibia have a green transition partnership solidified through the strategic partnership on critical raw materials and green hydrogen.

This partnership was initiated in November last year through the signing of an agreement.

“We work on the green transition part with Namibia, because this is where we share the common commitment and common concern.

Something needs to be done on the increasing temperatures and climate change,” Martins said.

This partnership hinges on two parties’ different but complementary priorities, she said.

Namibia aims to export green hydrogen and transition into green industrialisation and to achieve economic growth, job creation, and development through greater access to energy and water, she said.

The EU needs to secure alternative and cleaner energy sources by importing renewable hydrogen from competitive standards.

Speaking on fossil fuels in Europe, Martins said the region is currently dependent on fossil fuels, but has also developed a strategy to achieve a carbon neutral economy by 2050.

This carbon-neutrality strategy comprises the ‘Green Deal’ and the ‘Fit for 55’ package.

The package involves regulatory frameworks designed to reduce the EU’s net emissions by at least 55% by 2030.

These regulations include an emissions-trading system and a carbon-border adjustment mechanism.

Green hydrogen commissioner James Mnyupe said the green industrialisation agenda is already materialising and that Namibians should be excited.

“The green hydrogen programme, working together with the town of Lüderitz and the town council there, has started engaging experts to help think about the requisite town transformation that would be needed to house these industries,” he said.

He highlighted the use of critical raw minerals like neodymium, praseodymium and dysprosium, which Namibia has discovered in abundance.

Mnyupe said Andrada Mining is making progress in processing lithium.

He was speaking at a press briefing at State House in Windhoek on Monday.