Taking stock and the way ahead: Realising the EU-Namibia Partnership

In November 2022 at COP 27 the European Union and Namibia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) establishing a strategic partnership to develop raw materials and renewable hydrogen, amid green transition and industrialization ambitions. The MoU hinges on the mobilisation of requisite funding for the development of infrastructure, skills and innovation, among other prerequisites. 

To date, Namibia’s competitive edge has been more apparent with regard to renewable hydrogen than to the minerals sector. Hydrogen project development has attracted investors’ interest, including from the European Investment Bank (EIB) which agreed to deepen its cooperation with the country in support of renewable energy, including renewable hydrogen. The country has however received less attention from mineral investors. Recent statements concerning minerals export bans risk further impacting Namibia’s investment attractiveness. 

Identifying opportunities and challenges in the investment ecosystems is critical to creating a conducive environment to develop sustainable value chains and achieve stated objectives. This event aims to facilitate dialogue between European and Namibian institutions, investors and the private sector to take stock of the implementation process and discuss a way forward. This is ever more important for Europe as Namibia’s global energy profile becomes more strategic, increasing its geopolitical relevance and external competition for resources.

The event is hosted by the ECFR Africa programme, as part of its Energy Workstream and is kindly sponsored by the EIB.