German Economy and Climate Action Minister Robert Habeck speaks during a news conference on the future use of liquefied natural gas (LNG), in Berlin, Germany August 16, 2022. (Reuters)
Robert Habeck, Germany’s economy minister, started a trip to South Africa and Namibia on Sunday, as part of a push to find new energy sources.
On his way to Namibia, Habeck will meet with a group of German business leaders and sign an agreement regarding the production of green hydrogen.
“Namibia has very great advantages in terms of location compared to Europe,” Habeck told reporters before flying out of Berlin. Namibia’s Skeleton Coast on the Atlantic Ocean is ideal for green-hydrogen production due to an abundance of sun and wind, he added.
Under the memorandum, RWE and Hyphen Hydrogen Energy will be able to take over 300,000 tons of green ammonia a year. This hydrogen derivative can be used by ships.
Habeck will also participate in a business summit in Johannesburg with South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa. Ramaphosa has been under pressure due to allegations of corruption.
The visit to Namibia and South Africa is part of Germany’s efforts to establish new energy alliances outside Europe following the gas supply cut-off caused by Russia. Habeck has also visited countries such as Norway, Qatar, and Canada in an attempt to secure liquefied natural gas (LNG) resources.
“A green energy transition, security of supply and reliable value chains are also key issues in Africa,” according to Fausi Najjar at Germany Trade & Invest, a government agency that promotes German companies abroad.
“In particular, the desire for more diversified supply chains is leading to greater interest on the part of German companies in African markets,” Najjar added.
According to data released by the GTAI, over 400 German companies, which include some of the energy, medical technology, and auto sectors, operating in South Africa. The country’s share of the total foreign trade of Germany with Africa is over 40 per cent.
Source:English alarabiya/ BloomBerg
