Germany and India agree on closer critical mineral, semiconductor, renewables cooperation
Reuters / Clean Energy Wire
Germany and India have signed cooperation agreements on business relations, semiconductor development, hydrogen, and renewable energy. At German chancellor Friedrich Merz’s first visit to Asia, the two countries also agreed a memorandum of understanding to grant Germany better access to India’s critical minerals.
“India and Germany are working together to build secure, trusted and resilient supply chains,” said India’s prime minister Narendra Modi in a press conference on the meeting with Germany's chancellor.
“India and Germany are working closely together in the field of renewable energies,” Modi said, adding that the countries had agreed to establish the “German-Indian Centre of Excellence”, a joint platform for knowledge exchange, technology, and innovation, to strengthen cooperation in this area.
Germany is working to reduce import dependencies for several technologies and raw materials needed for the energy transition, areas in which China dominates large segments of the market. Semiconductors are a key component of both digital and of green technologies, including wind turbines, photovoltaic systems, electric vehicles, and heat pumps.
“Particularly in view of the profound geopolitical changes and upheavals in the world, we share a fundamental interest in deepening our strategic partnership,” Merz said during the press conference.
Germany’s economy ministry, together with the European wind industry, has launched a “resilience roadmap” aimed at reducing the bloc's dependence on Chinese permanent magnets used in wind turbines. An alliance of industry representatives recently warned that raw materials could become Europe’s Achilles heel, and called on the German government to create new partnerships to secure supplies.
India and Germany also signed agreements on security, health and artificial intelligence.
