Launched as part of COP28 UAE in December 2023, the inaugural Global African Hydrogen Summit (GAH2S) is a pioneering new energies investment platform taking place from 3 – 5 September 2024 in Windhoek, Namibia.
Aligned with the ambitious goals set out at COP28 to rapidly scale the energy system of tomorrow, GAH2S provides a crucial catalyst for driving Africa’s pivotal role in realising this vision. The platform has gained significant momentum with the esteemed patronage of the Namibian Head of State and the Government of Namibia’s full endorsement and support.
Tom Alweendo, Namibia’s Minister of Mines and Energy commented that: “The Global African Hydrogen Summit will be the first platform of its kind to be leveraged by African governments, by investors, financiers, scholars and the public. In order to unlock additional opportunities for our continent and its partners, it will also provide a platform for the global players in the hydrogen value chain to showcase their projects, plans and technologies to the African continent.”
While Africa’s global emissions are minimal, it urgently requires substantial climate adaptation investments. Possessing almost unlimited potential of solar capacity, abundant hydro, wind, and geothermal energy sources, Africa is rapidly emerging as a key destination for large scale, low-carbon hydrogen production investment which will accelerate the continent’s green industrial revolution.
Themed “From Ambition to Action: Fuelling Africa’s Green Industrial Revolution”, GAH2S is focussing on the strategic role Africa expects to play in the global hydrogen market and will facilitate collaboration and advance dialogue across policy, investment and the emerging hydrogen value chain.
Most notably Egypt, Kenya, Mauritania, Morocco, Namibia and South Africa — who are all actively pursuing clean hydrogen production, will showcase their respective plans and priorities for investment whilst seeking global partnerships. Namibia in particular, has set her sights on the bold ambition of becoming the sustainable energy capital of Africa, leveraging the country’s unparalleled wind, solar and resources, complemented by a strategic location enabling access to the African market and beyond.
The continent has the potential to harmonise its own industrialisation to become a global powerhouse of green manufactured products, whilst applying a localised multiplier effect, stimulating in-continent value including employment creation, ancillary industries, light manufacturing and natural resource refining – uplifting economies across Africa, whilst sustainably bringing an end to energy poverty.
The Summit will showcase pan African project and investment opportunities across the hydrogen, renewables, power, infrastructure, transportation and mobility sectors. It will actively contribute to Africa and in particular Namibia’s green industrialisation plans, addressing the hydrogen supply chain, green financing, and local content strategies, including skills and talent development, knowledge transfer and capacity building.
