The European Union (EU) says it plans to provide N$60 million in funding before the end of the year, to support the newly established Implementation Authority Office for the green hydrogen programme.
The office announced early this month to be headed by Green Hydrogen Commissioner James Mnyupe, will assume responsibility for the planning, procurement, and oversight of forthcoming green hydrogen projects located on state-owned lands.
EU’s Head of Cooperation Federico Berna said the funds will further be extended to the Electricity Control Board and NamPower, for new generation and rural electrification projects.
“The funding will also include capacity development and long-term energy planning. This component will be implemented together with the framework of Get-transform, which will provide an additional funding of N$40 million,” said Berna.
“In addition, our support to sustainable energy in Africa will be channelled through the ambitious Africa-EU Green Initiative, which is part of the Global Gateway strategy. Thus, the EU will mobilise 3.4 billion Euros in support of this initiative,” added Berna.
In November 2022, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed on the EU-Namibia Partnership on Sustainable Raw Materials Value Chains and Renewable Hydrogen, to which funding of close to N$9 billion (€500) will be provided.
Berna emphasised that the EU is committed to supporting Africa’s energy interconnection and the development of regional energy markets.
He said the investment package, which includes a soft component in supporting the regulatory environment through technical assistance and capacity building; will include funding of hard infrastructures such as interconnection and large-scale generation projects.
“In line with the REPowerEU objectives to import up to 10 million tonnes of renewable hydrogen by 2030, the initiative foresees the development of green hydrogen partnerships with interested countries like the one we entered with Namibia. Among the projects in the pipeline that could benefit Namibia, is the Angola-Namibia interconnector,” stated Berna.
Berna made these remarks at the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) and Modified Single Buyer Market Access conference underway in Windhoek.
Namibia’s Electricity Control Board, NamPower and the Southern African Power Pool have issued a joint guide to support Independent Power Producers (IPPs) in accessing the national and regional energy trading market, known as the “The SAPP and MSB Market Access Guide.”
By providing an overview of the market rules and roles in Namibia’s Modified Single Buyer and the SAPP regional market, the guide addresses the urgent need for consolidated information.
It assists Independent Power Producers in understanding and navigating the necessary processes and outlines the requirements for active participation in both markets.
