The European Union (EU) has earmarked N$30 million (€1.5 million) to support cooperation between the Namibian and EU geological surveys, to map mineral deposits, manage geo-data, study local refining and beneficiation.
EU Ambassador Ana Beatriz Martins said the cooperation is vital for developing the Critical Raw Mineral value chain and attracting investment to Namibia.
“The EU remains committed to its partnership with Namibia on sustainable, clean, and inclusive economic growth. The promotion of local value generation and sustainable value chain integration between Namibia and the EU are at the core of this partnership,” she said.
Martins said this at the launch of a “Country Case Study of Namibia” report, through the AfricaMaVal project, which is implemented by the German Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR) together with a local company Odikwa Geoservices, which sought to assess investment potentials in the Namibian mining sector.
The AfricaMaVal project aims to foster partnerships between the EU and African countries, to support investments of the EU and the European industry in the Namibian mining sector (both industrial mining and small-scale mining), as well as in the associated infrastructure and value chains.
“The AfricaMaval project is a crucial step, building on Namibia’s vision for green energy transition. In Namibia, the BGR and Odikwa Geoservices conducted a comprehensive study that provides an overview of Namibia’s minerals potential, analysing the mining value chain and ecosystem, the regulatory framework and above all identifies potential investment opportunities. It provides invaluable insights to both EU investors and Namibian decision-makers,” said Martins.
Adding that; “the AfricaMaval project is just one piece of the puzzle. We aim to further strengthen EU-Namibian Geological Survey cooperation in other areas aligned with our partnership. Through the PanafGeo project, we have established strong collaboration with European and African Geological Surveys. This collaboration focuses on capacity building, geo-data management, and research to support mining development across Africa.”
The EU Ambassador further said, they have established ambitious goals for Critical Raw Materials and green hydrogen cooperation, as contained in a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in November 2022 between late President Geingob and European Commission President von der Leyen, leading to a Roadmap launched in October 2023.
“The partnership on CRM is designed to be mutually beneficial: it will help us, in Europe, diversify our supply chains for a natural resource we need for our clean energy targets in 2030, while it supports Namibia’s in its aim to move beyond resource extraction of its valuable natural resources. The partnership is about generating local beneficiation and job creation from mining, through European financial, technological and skills inputs into Namibia is processing and refining activities,” said.
“It is therefore now time to translate these goals into concrete projects that bring tangible benefits to both Namibia and the EU. Our Green Hydrogen Partnership has already gained speed, with a pipeline of European investments exceeding €20 billion in Namibia. Some projects are already in the pilot phase. We are actively collaborating with EU member states and financial institutions to develop a conducive ecosystem for the sector’s emergence.”
However, in the Critical Raw Mineral sector, Martins said activities are at an earlier stage.
