Manuel Andresh, Global Hidrogen Diplomacy (H2-Diplo)

The Hydrogen Diplomacy Office in Astana forms part of the German Foreign Office´s Global Hydrogen Diplomacy (H2 Diplo) Program. This initiative is one of several activities conducted by the GIZ in Kazakhstan since the early 1990s. The GIZ portfolio in Kazakhstan is focused on long-term economic development and good governance, education and vocational training, environment and climate.

During her visit in October 2022, the German Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock announced that Germany would soon open a Hydrogen Diplomacy Office (HDO) in Astana in order to institutionalize the interaction between both governments and experts around the topic of green hydrogen. Just two months later, many stakeholders in Astana and Almaty were already visited during an inaugural visit. With the presentation of the Hydrogen Diplomacy Office, many first ideas and suggestions for cooperation were already discussed. Since the beginning of March, the office has officially started working.

With Kazakhstan´s objective of carbon neutrality by 2060, its important role on the global energy market, as well as its strategic partnership on raw materials, batteries and renewable hydrogen with the European Union, the topic of green hydrogen is becoming increasingly important in Kazakhstan. At the same time, the project of HYRASIA ONE has strongly increased Kazakhstan´s visibility in the green hydrogen sphere.

Due to the expected high global demand for green hydrogen and Kazakhstan’s potential and plans to produce it, Kazakhstan will keep playing an important role on the international energy market. Nevertheless, there are also many possibilities to use green hydrogen domestically. Among others, the production of green steel, green ammonia (among other applications, to produce fertilizer) and synthetic fuels for sea and air transport are just three options for which green hydrogen can play a role either within the country´s markets for its own carbon neutrality goals or on international markets by exporting the value-added goods. An economic diversification is required to address the expected decrease in demand for fossil oil and gas, increasing Kazakhstan´s competitiveness in the long run. The HDO is working with Kazakhstan to discuss and analyze its many options and to find the best solutions for the country, transforming its industry and diversifying its energy exports. The HDO offers an exchange platform for these topics, domestically within the country as well as with international stakeholders, providing insights and inputs for strategies and partnerships. As a first step, a study on the export options and their cost implications will be conducted.

While green hydrogen is an important part of global decarbonization and defossilization, it is not sustainable by default. With his background in sustainability research on green hydrogen production, the head of HDO, Mr. Manuel Andresh, is dedicating his work also to sustainability in Kazakhstan. There are many social and environmental sustainability aspects that have to be addressed with the production of green hydrogen. At the same time, geopolitical aspects have to be addressed. Historically, the potential for energy exports has depended on fossil resources and the ability to extract them. With green hydrogen, this dependence on fossil resources becomes obsolete, enabling many countries around the world to participate in the market. Both topics require international discussions, agreements and cooperation on a global level. The HDO will serve as a platform for this international exchange.

There has been active exchange between Kazakhstan and Germany around the topic of green hydrogen already. The HDO is planning to collaborate with the German Energy Agency (dena) and the Delegation of German Economy in Central Asia (AHK), both being already active in the country. Furthermore, a workshop on prospects of potential export countries with regard to the development of potential hydrogen partnerships with Germany, organized by Reiner Lemoine Institute, DLR Project Management Agency and Ansole, recently took place. The workshop was part of a project commissioned by the Office of Technology Assessment at the German Bundestag, which aims to understand the views and perspectives of potential exporting countries and identify options for action based on these. According to the participants, water scarcity & management and capacity building & trainings were the most important fields of action for a sustainable implementation of green hydrogen partnerships. Followed by solving hydrogen transportation challenges and the development of suitable legal frameworks and regulations. Careful site selection and technology knowhow and transfer were also relevant.

With many relevant actors and topics, the HDO will serve as a platform for international exchange between Kazakhstan and Germany, cooperating on many topics. The capacities within the country are one aspect the HDO is already working on. As it was emphasized in the workshop, it will be necessary to train people around the topic of green hydrogen. Several professions and specializations will be required, of which some can be transferred from the fossil fuel industry, while others will demand new educational programs. The HDO is actively supporting the development of such programs, for example the creation of the Mangystau School of Sustainable Engineering, which will be developed on the basis of the Yessenov University, in cooperation with the Kazakh-German University, Svevind and several German universities.

The other identified topics will also play a role in the work of the HDO, while the main focus is set on geopolitical, macroeconomic and educational aspects. These aspects will be addressed with several activities, such as:

1.    Studies, that address local topics as well as international aspects, will be conducted.

2.    Symposia and dialogue events with public and private actors will be held.

3.    Trainings and study visits for international exchange and knowledge transfer will be organized.

4.    Direct advisory and support for strategies, roadmaps and other projects will be discussed and offered within the country and network.

While the work has already started, the HDO will formally be launched with a first symposium within the upcoming months.