Industry players insist hydrogen projects on solid ground

Amid concerns about government’s perceived waning political support for Namibia’s green hydrogen sector, industry players say progress is nevertheless continuing.

James Mnyupe’s resignation from the Green Hydrogen Programme and the Green Hydrogen Council’s mandate expiry last year fuelled speculation that the current administration is less enthusiastic about the sector.

However, industry players insist that confidence in Namibia’s burgeoning green hydrogen remains intact.

Hyphen Hydrogen Energy’s Toni Beukes said the company has no concerns about governance or political backing. "The Namibian green hydrogen strategy talks about Hyphen as the first sort of catalyst project in the first green hydrogen valley, which is the Southern Corridor Development Initiative." She added: “There is a lot happening in the background… all of that should tell you that we are not concerned about political support, because it is there.”

Beukes acknowledged that government restructuring has slowed progress, but not to a level of concern.

“Naturally there is a bit of a slowdown in movement, but certainly not at a worrying level or at a level where we are not enjoying support from our ministries,” Beukes said.

Government equity - Beukes also noted that Namibia’s limited domestic demand requires an export-driven model, while pilot projects help stimulate local markets.

Opportunities span the value chain, including ammonia, fertiliser, maritime fuel and synthetic aviation fuels, she noted. "Hyphen is export-focused because we want to show the world that you can produce green hydrogen and derivatives at scale," she explained. Beukes further underlined government's direct participation. “When [you] say that we are not reflected in the strategy, that’s not true, because we produce; we are the catalyst project for Namibia. We’re also the only project that has government participation in the project with a 24% equity,” she stressed.

Beukes added that Namibia’s policy framework continues to reflect political backing. “We are the only project that is referred to. If you want a political signal, we are in the implementation plan. Then we have government equity, and then we have signed an agreement with the government."

Govt still interested - HyIron chief executive and co-founder Johannes Michels said the company continues to receive government support.

“But this is not an easy task, and being the first in many of the technologies and solutions also brings a lot of headwinds," he noted. "However, we are meeting our goals of employment creation and plan to realise our Phase two expansion of the Oshivela plant at the beginning of next year. Much of it is in our hands, and our entire team is fighting very hard to make it come true,” he added.

Industries, mines and energy minister Modestus Amutse said Namibia continues to pursue green hydrogen and ammonia projects as part of its energy mix and industrialisation strategy, citing initiatives such as Hyphen, HyIron Oshivela, Daures Green Hydrogen Village and Cleanergy Solutions. He said projects such as Oshivela and Cleanergy have already demonstrated early industrial application, while others are advancing in green ammonia and low-carbon fertiliser production.

Namibia has secured access to up to US$250 million under the Climate Investment Fund’s Industry Decarbonisation Programme to support green industrialisation. For the 2026/27 financial year, planned activities include feasibility studies on industrialisation opportunities, research on rail infrastructure, socio-economic baseline studies and the development of a local content framework for SMEs.

Speaking at the official opening of HyIron's Oshivela plant last year, President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah reaffirmed Namibia’s commitment to investment. “For us in government, our objective is to create a conducive environment for investment for both local and foreign investors. Therefore, I call upon other investors to follow and emulate the exemplary path of HyIron," she said.

Namibia Green Hydrogen programme communications manager Jona Musheko said global demand remains a key factor shaping the sector. “It’s not a fast-moving demand; it has been that slow," he admitted. "But there are countries that are committed to fully incorporating renewables in the energy sector: China, Europe, Asia (Korea and Japan),” he said.