- Scholz’s government sees great potential in achieving energy and climate partnerships with Nairobi.
- The tour underlines the strategic importance of the continent and the efforts undertaken by Western states to counter China and Russia’s overtures to the region.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz heads Thursday to East Africa, seeking clean energy partnerships, particularly with “trailblazer” Kenya, where 90 percent of power needs are covered by renewables. Scholz’s government sees great potential in achieving energy and climate partnerships with Nairobi.
Kenya is already Germany’s biggest trading partner from East Africa and is planning to fully cover its energy needs with renewables by 2030. Geothermal power is key in Kenya’s energy mix and offers “excellent conditions” for the production of green hydrogen. The German government source said, “The hope is that green hydrogen could eventually be imported from Kenya.” Scholz will be visiting a geothermal power plant at Lake Naivasha on Saturday.
Over the last months, German leaders have been sealing energy deals with a wide variety of countries after it was forced to rapidly wean itself off cheap Russian energy imports following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. Scholz, who is due to meet Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Thursday, aims to “acknowledge and support the progress made in the peace process that began in November, but at the same time call for further steps”. The tour underlines the strategic importance of the continent and the efforts undertaken by Western states to counter China and Russia’s overtures to the region.