Namibia Embassy Berlin -

Germany supports renewable energy in Namibia

Jun 29, 2015; German Information Centre Africa

Namibian Finance Minister, Hon Calle Schlettwein, and German Ambassador Onno Hückmann; signing with Mrs. Hildebrandt (third right) (© German Embassy Windhoek)

Namibia's Minister of Finance Hon. Calle Schlettwein and the German Ambassador Onno Hückmann, signed an intergovernmental agreement on Financial Cooperation between the Republic of Namibia and the Federal Republic of Germany for a loan of 45 million Euro (approx. 609 million NAD) for the energy sector.

The preferential loan will be used to finance projects on renewable energy and energy efficiency in Namibia through NamPower. The main objective of the programme is to ensure stable and reliable power supply for Namibia in the short- and medium-term and to support a sustainable long-term power mix consisting of renewable and fossil elements. Both approaches are flanked by initiatives to increase energy efficiency.

Specific projects to be funded through the programme are the rehabilitation of three turbines at the Ruacana hydro power plant and the construction of transmission lines from Gerus to Otjikoto and Kuiseb to Walvis Bay.

About 8 million Euro (approx. 108 million NAD) are allocated for Demand Side Management. This will include NamPower's initiative to exchange one million light bulbs in households with energy-saving LED's free of charge and a programme to subsidize the replacement of 20,000 traditional warm-water geysers with energy-efficient solar water heaters.

At the signing ceremony, Ambassador Hückmann emphasized that: "Energy is an enabler for economic growth. The agreement signed today will play a vital role in reducing the dependency on power imports, supporting Namibia's promising economic development and transformation into a modern diversified economy."

18th June 2015 - H.E. President Hage Geingob receives Ambassador Hückmann for courtesy call 

Courtesy Call by Ambassador Onno Hückmann on H.E. Dr. Hage Geingob, President of the Republic of Namibia (© German Embassy Windhoek) On 18 June 2015 H.E. Onno Hückmann, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Namibia, paid a courtesy call on H.E. Dr. Hage G. Geingob, President of the Republic of Namibia at the State House in Windhoek. During this courtesy call, Ambassador Hückmann handed over a letter from H.E, Professor Dr. Horst Köhler, former President of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Ambassador Hückmann thanked the Namibian side for the very good cooperation during the last three years. H.E. President Dr. Geingob advocated for a further intensification and expansion of the good relations.

German investment in Namibia on agenda during delegation visit
Jun 17, 2015; German Information Centre Africa

Delegation in front of the Brandenburger Gate and visiting a Bio-Mass Power Station (© German Embassy Windhoek)

A high-ranking delegation from Namibia visited Germany from June 8-12, 2015 upon the invitation Germany's Federal Government and Parliament to explore possible contributions of German investment to Namibia's economic development.

In Berlin, the delegation met various members of Parliament responsible for economic and business issues, as well as those dealing specifically with the southern African region. They also met with leading Foreign Ministry officials responsible for sub-Saharan Africa, as well as political leaders at the state level.

Specifically, the MPs visited were: Dagmar Freitag, Chairperson (and other members) of the SADC Parliamentary Group of the German Parliament, Dr. Peter Ramsauer, Chairman (and other members) of the German Federal Parliament's Committee on Economic Affairs and Energy, Brigitte Zypries, Parliamentary State Secretary in the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy, and Peter Silberhorn, Parliamentary State Secretary in the Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development.

The delegation met with Mr Markus Ederer, State Secretary and Ambassador Georg Schmidt, Regional Director for Sub-Saharan Africa and the Sahel, both at the Federal Foreign Office.

In the federal state of Hesse, the delegation met the Speaker of the Assembly of the State of Hesse, the Honourable Norbert Kartmann, Mr Mark Weinmeister, State Secretary for Europe at the State Chancellery of Hesse, and Members of the Committee on European and International Affairs of the Assembly of the State of Hesse.

The delegation visited KfW, the German development bank, as well as a biomass power plant and a business park. They also met representatives of individual companies such as the logistics companies Schenker and DB International, Rolls Royce and Merck.

The Namibian delegation, was headed by Hon. Tom ALWEENDO, Minister of Economic Planning and Director General of the National Planning Commission, and included the following: Hon. Peya MUSHELENGA - Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Mr Martin INKUMBI, CEO, Development Bank of Namibia, Mr Immanuel MWILIMA, Executive Director, Namibia National Farmers Union (NNFU), Mr Bisey UIRAB, CEO, NAMPORT and Chairman of the Walvis Bay Corridor Group, Mr Tarah SHAANIKA, CEO, Namibian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI), Mr Hippy TJIVIKUA, Acting CEO, TRANSNAMIB, and Mr Erwin NAIMHWAKA, Special Adviser, Ministry of Economic Planning and National Planning Commission.

Also check: A Namibian Delegation Visits Germany Exploring Possible German Investment in Namibia's Economic Development

Parlamentariergruppe SADC-Staaten zu Gesprächen nach Südafrika, Botsuana und Namibia

Pressemitteilung, Bundestag, 19.05.2015

Vom 26. Mai bis 7. Juni 2015 wird eine Delegation der Parlamentariergruppe der Entwicklungsgemeinschaft des südlichen Afrika (kurz: SADC) unter Leitung der Vorsitzenden der Parlamentariergruppe, Dagmar Freitag (SPD), Südafrika, Botsuana und Namibia besuchen. Die weiteren Delegationsmitglieder sind: Frank Heinrich (CDU/CSU), Veronika Bellmann (CDU/CSU), Ingrid Pahlmann (CDU/CSU), Steffen-Claudio Lemme (SPD) und Tabea Rößner (BÜNDNIS 90/DIE GRÜNEN).

SADC Parliamentary group at a meeting with Bishop Zephania Kameeta, Minister für Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare together with Ambassador Hückmann. (© German Embassy)

Die Delegation traf in Johannesburg und Kapstadt (Südafrika), Gaborone (Botsuana) und Windhuk (Namibia) mit Parlamentariern zusammentreffen, um bestehende bilaterale parlamentarische Kontakte zu vertiefen. Dabei werden insbesondere Gespräche zu den Themen gesamtwirtschaftliche Entwicklung, Demokratie, Gesundheitswesen, Bildung und berufliche Ausbildung geführt. Einen weiteren Schwerpunkt bilden Gespräche mit den jeweiligen Regierungsvertretern über die Themen Energie- und Umweltpolitik sowie der Entwicklung eines nachhaltigen Tourismus in der Region. In diesem Zusammenhang soll auch die Rolle der Entwicklungsgemeinschaft des südlichen Afrika (SADC) aus der Perspektive der jeweils teilnehmenden Länder sowie der Stand des Integrationsprozesses der SADC erörtert werden.

In allen drei Ländern werden zudem Treffen mit Abgeordneten der jeweiligen Oppositionsfraktionen sowie vor Ort ansässigen deutschen Unternehmen und mit Vertretern der Zivilgesellschaft, der Wissenschaft und politischen Stiftungen stattfinden.

also check here: Delegation from German Bundestag Pays Visit to Namibian National Representatives

and here: 15th June 2015 - Delegation of the German Parliament hands over Sports Equipment to the Namibia Paralympic Committee and "Auf Ballhöhe": "The handing-over took place in the framework of the "German Weeks 2015" and was attended by the SADC Parliamentary Group of the German Parliament, the Deputy Minister of Sports, Youth and National Services, Hon. Agnes Tjongarero, the Deputy Head of the German Embassy Ullrich Kinne as well as representatives of the Namibia Paralympics Committee, Paralympic athletes, and organiser and participants from primary schools in Katutura taking part in the "Auf Ballhöhe" football project. Hon. Dagmar Freitag, MP, head of the SADC Parliamentary Group, officially handed over the substantial amount of sports equipment, which was funded by the German Embassy to the tune of 100.000,00 N$. She was pleased that this donation was a concrete result of the visit by the Sports Delegation of the German Parliament last year and said: "We are delighted that so much can be achieved with relatively modest means."