Japan has made a commitment to invest N$28 billion (US$1.5 billion) in the Namibian mining sector should Japanese companies decide to participate in the country’s mining.
“When a Japanese company decides to participate in Namibia, Japan is ready to provide strong support by utilising an injection of US$1.5 billion,” Japan’s Minister for Economy, Trade and Industry Nishimura Yasutoshi said on Tuesday.
The Japanese Minister said this during a meeting with Namibia’s Mines and Energy Minister Tom Alweendo, as part of extending mining activities in the country.
The two ministers also discussed exchanging information and cooperating in technology to advance various projects in the mining sector.
In addition, he said Japan wants to also extend their cooperation with Namibia beyond the mining sector by collaborating in technical, human resource, green hydrogen and infrastructure, through public-private partnership on a short- to long-term basis.
The Japanese Minister says his country is committed to enhancing international logistics coordination and supply chain for rare earth metal and green ammonia.
In addition to Alweendo, Yasutoshi also met with the Minister in the Presidency Christine //Hoebes, Industrialisation and Trade Minister Lucia Iipumbu , Director General for National Planning Commission Obeth Kandjoze and Green Hydrogen Commissioner James Mnyupe, to ink deals on how to collaborate and work together in mining and renewable sector.
“Namibia has the potential to be the future producer of clean energy and supply of critical resources that are needed in today’s world. The country is rich in minerals such as lithium and uranium which are needed in advancing technology and innovation as well as power,” Yasutoshi said.
“We are ready to cooperate in the mining sector and deepen supply chain agreements, while also engaging in training of the youth in the operation of the green hydrogen and energy sector. We are particularly interested in green ammonia where we hope to build more capacity given the resources of wind and solar energy,” he added.
Shortly after, Hyphen Green Hydrogen Energy signed a memorandum of understanding with ITOCHU Corporation to explore areas for potential collaboration on the production of green ammonia.
Meanwhile, Alweendo said Namibia is looking beyond the extraction and exporting of raw minerals, but rather at ways how the country can benefit from these natural resources by being involved in adding value and even selling off the end product.
“We know Japan is a key global player in the energy sector, it is, therefore, our hope that we shall embrace their technology in terms of gaining funding. In our discussions they have shown interest in those minerals, while our interest is to make sure that such minerals are processed and not exported in raw form,” Alweendo said.
Namibia has taken a hard stance of banning the export of raw earth metals such as lithium, cobalt, and graphite, among others which are now a global demand, in an effort to promote local beneficiation as well as add value to the minerals through establishments of processing plants.
Meanwhile, Minister in the Presidency //Hoebes said Namibia and Japan have enjoyed a long cordial relationship, having received assistance for drought relief, construction of the Wenela Bridge, Rundu road and Walvis Bay port.
“We believe that resting on the existing bilateral agreements and socioeconomic activities, we look forward to engaging and emulating Japan’s strategy on decarbonisation, so that we can also be a lead player in this global agenda,” said //Hoebes.
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