Locals must benefit from green hydrogen – //Kharas governor

//Kharas governor Aletha Frederick says skills development is key to ensure locals benefit from green hydrogen project value chains.

She made the remarks at the signing of an agreement with Hyphen Hydrogen Energy on Wednesday at Keetmanshoop aimed at nurturing sustainable growth and enhancing resilience within the region.

Frederick said Namibia’s green hydrogen sector is about a value chain that goes beyond producing energy, and involves producing, handling, storing and transporting hydrogen.

The governor referenced Namibia’s Green Industrialisation Blueprint, which estimates that fully developing Namibia’s synthetic fuel strategy could create up to 250 000 jobs. This includes about 185 000 direct jobs from green hydrogen activities – like building wind and solar farms, operating pipelines and assembling electrolysers – and around 70 000 jobs related to concrete manufacturing and basic metals production.

“Through this collaboration, we aim to identify and prioritise specific capacity-building initiatives tailored to address regional skills gaps. By doing so, we will equip our local workforce with essential skills not only relevant but also critical to meeting the demands of an evolving job market. I believe the synergy created through information sharing and leveraging each other’s expertise will facilitate a comprehensive approach to skill enhancement,” said Frederick.

She said there are currently nearly 30 students from disadvantaged backgrounds who have been granted admission to the Namibian Institute of Mining and Technology, but are in need of financial assistance for registration.

She said their uncertainty and fear of losing this opportunity to improve their socio-economic situation should compel leaders to take extraordinary and decisive action.

“We acknowledged the profound effect that financial barriers have on educational access. Let this agreement serve as an instrument that empowers us to ensure that our youth can access education, transform their futures and be able to thrive in this new economic landscape. We cannot simply state that our allocated funds have been depleted and do nothing further,” said the governor.

Hyphen Hydrogen Energy was selected as the preferred bidder for Namibia’s first large-scale green hydrogen project in the //Kharas region, aiming to develop green hydrogen and ammonia production around the Tsau //Khaeb National Park, with a total value of US$9.4 billion (about N$173 billion).

The government and Hyphen agreed to a socio-economic development framework to ensure the benefits and opportunities under the green hydrogen project are enjoyed by all Namibians throughout the country.

The framework covers local ownership, job creation, local enterprise development, local sourcing, training and skills development, and supportive infrastructure and logistics development.

Hyphen’s head of environment and social governance, Toni Beukes, says the company is committed to partnering with the Namibian government as it embarks on upskilling Namibians – particularly youth – through specialised training and capacity-building initiatives in this sector.

“Our goal is to ensure that local talent is well-equipped to seize the opportunities emerging from the implementation of the Hyphen project,” says Beukes.