Official opening of the Kenyan-German Hydrogen Diplomacy Office in Nairobi

On 10 May 2024, at the 2^nd Kenyan-German Green Hydrogen Symposium, high-ranking government officials from Germany and Kenya governments launched the Kenyan-German Hydrogen Diplomacy Office (“H₂-diplo Office”) in Nairobi. The H₂-diplo Office is the first of its kind in East Africa, recognizing the potential that green hydrogen offers to promote green industrialization and to strengthen, diversify and decarbonize the Kenyan economy.

The event was facilitated by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ Kenya), and hosted jointly by the German Embassy and Kenya’s Ministry of Energy and Petroleum.

The Symposium was opened with remarks from Mr. Sebastian Groth, German Ambassador to Kenya; Jennifer Morgan, State Secretary and Special Envoy for International Climate Action, Federal Foreign Office of Germany; Mr. Alex Wachira, Permanent Secretary, State Department for Energy; and Hon Davis Chirchir, Cabinet Secretary for Energy and Petroleum. All three emphasized the great potential that Kenya has in leading efforts towards the decarbonization of its industrial and power sectors, as well as her strategic role in contributing to Germany’s and Europe’s energy transformation journey. Hydrogen and PtX (Power to X) technologies can be be key pillars in that regard, with great potential for diversifying and decarbonizing the Kenyan economy as well as creating green jobs and local growth.jobs and grow the country’s local industries.

In support of this, the H₂-Diplo office will promote dialogue on the role of green hydrogen in Kenyan’s economy, give institutional support and offer technical advice on PtX and hydrogen technology applications in different sectors. Particularly, the office will offer support for the strategic integration of hydrogen related perspectives into climate abatement and avoidance strategies and polices. State Secretary Morgan, in her speech, highlighted the office’s intention to connect key stakeholders, such as sector experts, decision-makers, and sector-specific organizations from Germany, Kenya and beyond to focus on cooperation opportunities to promote green industrialization. ,

Further solidifying Kenya’s commitment to green energy, the event also featured the launch of Kenya’s “Guidelines on Green Hydrogen and its Derivatives”. Mr. Daniel Kiptoo, the Director General of the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority, spearheaded the launch of these guidelines, with a target to provide the support needed to operationalize the Kenyan Green Hydrogen Strategy. The Guidelines cover all relevant areas for sustainably commercializing hydrogen, such as licensing, environmental impact assessment, community engagement, and safety standards. The guidelines target to provide a comprehensive framework for project development following the launch of Kenya’s Green Hydrogen Strategy at the Africa Climate Summit in September 2023.

The launch was then followed by a diverse panel on Exploring pathways to industrial diversification based on green hydrogen in Kenya, featuring representatives from the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum, the EU Delegation the Kenya Private Sector Alliance, the Climate Justice Alliance and GIZ Kenya,. The discussions delved into Kenya’s green hydrogen potential and the crucial steps for realizing it. It also discussed the collaborative opportunities between the H₂-diplo office and different sectors and how effective financing frameworks can play a key role in developing local value chains. The need for an inclusive just transition with regard to the needs of the Kenyan society and the pathway to its realization were also highlighted in the panel.

On the side lines of the launch, H₂-diplo was able to facilitate two further events: The day started with a networking breakfast of the newly formed Africa section of the Women in Green Hydrogen. And in the afternoon, together with the colleagues from the Federal Foreign Office and CDAP. We co-facilitated a round-table discussion on exploring pathways towards an integrated approach for the production on non-fossil fuel nitrogen production from renewable energies. The roundtable included stakeholders from various fertilizer related sectors such as the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Organic Fertilizer Association of Kenya, Fertilizer Association of Kenya, Fertilizer Manufacturers, and the Women Farmers Association of Kenya. Occurring in the same week as the African Fertilizer and Soil Health Summit, the discussion was timely to the Kenyan and larger African context.

The results of the Symposium clearly demonstrated that with the launch of the H₂-diplo office and the unveiling of Kenya’s green hydrogen guidelines, the country will befurther strengtened to become a pioneer in green hydrogen innovation and implementation in Africa. The combined efforts of Kenya and Germany under the Climate and Development Partnership signal a strong commitment to a sustainable energy future, not only for the region but also for the global fight against climate change.

For more news about the H₂-diplo activities, follow us on LinkedIn: H₂-diplo – Decarbonization Diplomacy | LinkedIn

Official opening of the Kenyan-German Hydrogen Diplomacy Office in Nairobi

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