Germany and Namibia form partnership for green hydrogen

Germany’s Federal Research Minister Anja Karliczek and Director General Obeth M. Kandjoze of Namibia’s National Planning Commission agreed to establish a hydrogen partnership between Germany and Namibia and signed a Joint Communiqué of Intent (JCoI) in Windhoek and Berlin.
Remarking on Namibia’s and Germany’s cooperation in the field of green hydrogen technology, Federal Research Minister Anja Karliczek said:
“Germany is the first country to officially form a hydrogen partnership with Namibia. The Federal Research Ministry will provide up to 40 million euros in funding from the economic stimulus package for cooperation within the framework of this partnership... We therefore think that one kilogramme of hydrogen from Namibia will eventually cost between €1.50 and €2.00. This would be the most competitive price in the world which would be a huge locational advantage for hydrogen ‘made in Namibia’. The National Hydrogen Council estimates that hydrogen demand of German industry alone (excluding refineries) will amount to 1.7 billion tons per year – and this demand is likely to grow further.”

The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is providing funding for the identification of suitable sites for green hydrogen production in Africa within the framework of the Atlas of Green Hydrogen Generation Potentials in Africa. Preliminary calculations show that Namibia offers ideal conditions for the generation of wind and solar energy and thus for the production of green hydrogen. However, Namibia is also the most arid country in sub-Saharan Africa. Previous analyses have shown that desalination only has a very minor effect on the price of hydrogen as it accounts for only about 1% of production costs. Namibia intends to be able to export green hydrogen even before 2025. Due to the country’s low population density and moderate population growth, Namibia will be able to meet its own demand for renewable energy and green hydrogen quickly and thus cross the export threshold relatively fast.