Climate change and energy security are inevitable challenges, with climate innovation and decarbonisation being a critical response towards a more sustainable future. Hydrogen has emerged as a key solution to meet Africa’s energy needs with Namibia poised to play a pivotal role in the acceleration towards net zero.
The Global African Hydrogen Summit (GAH2S) 2024, officially inaugurated by Namibian Mines and Energy Minister, Honourable Tom Alweendo, marks a significant milestone in Africa's journey towards sustainable energy leadership. With representation from over 26 countries and stakeholders across the hydrogen sector value chain, this pioneering summit promises to be a catalyst for transformative change.
The minister emphasised the importance of partnerships and collaboration stating: “We understand the importance of adopting a pan-African approach to engaging with the world, aiming to explore and capitalise on the value brought by the development and implementation of all carbon technologies contributing to the realisation of green industrialisation and sustainable growth for African economies”.
Namibia is strategically poised to become the sustainable energy capital of Africa with the potential to produce green hydrogen at less than one and a half US dollars per kilogram. Additional advantages include an abundance of solar and wind resources, 46.7 million tons of biomass that can be harvested sustainably and a vast, sparsely populated land mass. The minister was speaking at the launch of the Global African Hydrogen Summit (GAH2S) in Windhoek, attended by representation from over 26 countries stakeholders spanning the burgeoning hydrogen sector value chain. This pioneering investment and multi stakeholder engagement platform is the first of its kind on the continent and will be hosted from 3 – 5 September 2024 in Windhoek, Namibia.
Nangula Uaandja, Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer of the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board shared the Government’s ambitions for green investments as well as the importance of local content, skills development, youth engagement and opportunities for the entire hydrogen value chain integration, including MSMEs.
Africa holds a key to decarbonising the global energy system and can become a leading player in hydrogen made from renewables. However, there are many challenges including financing, investment, infrastructure development, policy, regulation, standards, technology, demand generation and a fragmented financial market to trade. Therefore, partnerships and collaboration are fundamental to driving progress.
The Global African Hydrogen Summit has been born out of a deep necessity (at the highest level) to solve these challenges by inclusively convening heads of state, ministers, government agencies, developers, investors, technologists, academia, youth, startups, end users and civil society to facilitate collaboration, shape policy, drive critical investment and financing, and broker deal and project closure.
Themed From Ambition to Action: Fuelling Africa’s Green Industrial Revolution, the dynamic three-days summit will showcase pan-African project and investment opportunities across the hydrogen, renewables, power, infrastructure, transportation, and mobility sectors.
Hosted by the Government of the Republic of Namibia, through the Ministry of Mines & Energy and supported by the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board as a strategic partner, the summit is projected to attract over 2000 attendees from over 65 global countries.
