By Melba Chipepo-Kaure.
The inaugural African Green Industries Summit (AGIS) commenced on Wednesday in Swakopmund bringing together over 400 delegates to caucus on sustainable industrial development across Africa.
Hosted by NEA Consulting under the theme: “Powering African Industries for Sustainable Development” and organized in partnership with the Namibian government and the Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energy, the summit advances green industrialization, help to attract investment and promote value addition, manufacturing, and participation in global clean energy value chains.
During his keynote address at the official opening, the National Planning Commission Director General, Kaire Mbuende said that Namibia should see green hydrogen as more than just an energy transition.
“Namibia’s Green Hydrogen should serve as an enabler for broader industrialisation and should not be just about how much green hydrogen can be produced in the country.
“Namibia has the renewable energy potential mineral resources, strategic ports, land and market access required to become a competitive green industrial economy.
“The issue before us therefore is no longer how much green hydrogen we can produce. It is what we can manufacture with it, the minerals we can beneficiate, the industries we can decarbonize, and the infrastructure we can develop,” he stated.
The government through Namibia’s Sixth Development Plan strives to boost industrialization with set targets to increase the contribution of secondary industries to 25% of GDP by 2030, with manufacturing rising from 10.6% to 18%, and manufactured goods reaching 60% of total goods exports.
According to Mbuende, green industrialization is a source of sustainable growth and employment, with targets including 1.3 million tonnes of green ammonia per year, 2 million tonnes of direct-reduced iron, 143GWh of green baseload electricity, and 30% local content and participation by 2030, with an additional target of 30,000 green hydrogen related jobs.
He then stressed the need for cohesiveness by Namibian businesses for the government and private sector to achieve these goals.
“The government is providing policy direction, coordination and planning. However, the government can’t do this alone, we need the private sector, financiers, development partners, training institutions, communities, entrepreneurs, women and young people at the table and in the value chains,” Mbuende noted.
Key summit objectives include the promotion of sustainable industrial growth and green economic transformation in Africa as well as the facilitation of investment opportunities for governments, financial institutions, project developers, and technology providers.
Other objectives are to support MSMEs, the youth, and local enterprises in emerging green industries as well as to strengthen Namibia’s positioning as a hub for green hydrogen, renewable energy, critical minerals, and sustainable manufacturing.
Addressing the need for more local skills transfer, Mbuende further stated said that Namibia needs to acquire skills locally so that it does not have to bring people from outside Namibia to spearhead green hydrogen projects.
Also speaking at the summit, Erongo Governor Natalia Goagoses echoed the need for skills transfer especially for the youth and urged more young people to get involved in green hydrogen, especially those from marginalised areas.
European Union Director for International Partnerships, Erica Gerretsen called on African industry players to take ownership of its green industrial future by strengthening African industries, job creation and skills development.
