Opening Speech

Hon. Kornelia ShilungaDeputy Minister of Ministry of Mines and Energy

TheHon.DeputyMinisterwasdelightedtoseethelevelofinterest,notingclearly that"Namibia is open for business" .

Green Hydrogen marks a new beginning and highlights the aspirations of Namibia such as job creation, capacity building, continuous advancement through research and development, and effective policy making. The Namibian government holds the responsibility of setting rules and encouraging an investor-friendly environment through measures such as decreasing tariffs and costs

There is definitely a need for clarity surrounding investment opportunities as well as the role all Namibians have to play. This demands coordination and networking. The Namibian government is funding a study of the port expansion and has made Green Hydrogen Scholarships available through partnerships with the German government The scholarships are being assessed And once started would have private German companies collaborate with Namibian universities.

Additionally, discussions have started with Chinese dignitaries which will look into Chinese state-owned enterprises being able to invest and partner with Namibia’s Green Hydrogen industry players.

There is a need to have viable projects which would result in off-takers from the pilot projects being implemented

Countries such as Qatar and Germany have already shown an interest in being off-takers for the Green hydrogen market in Namibia.