Mnyupe gets third job at mines and energy ministry

The Ministry of Mines and Energy has launched the Implementation Authority Office as part of the green hydrogen (GH2) Namibia programme, with green hydrogen commissioner James Mnyupe as its head.

Mnyupe, who concurrently maintains his role as the economic adviser to president Hage Geingob, is poised to steer the programme’s trajectory over the next five years.

According to the ministry, the newly established office marks significant progress in advancing sustainable energy efforts, and will be taking charge of the planning, procurement, and oversight of upcoming green hydrogen initiatives.

“The Ministry of Mines and Energy is delighted to introduce the commencement of the Implementation Authority Office under the GH2 Namibia programme.

This initiative will harness financial support from collaborative partners, and, as necessary, the Namibian government, augmenting the ministry’s endeavors to materialise the aspirations of the Namibian hydrogen and derivatives strategy,” the ministry says.

This approach aligns with the directives set forth by the economic advancement pillar of the second Harambee Prosperity Plan, which is also constituted in the foremost objective of the green hydrogen and derivatives strategy, and was launched in November 2022, the statement reads.

“The strategy is strategically engineered to explore the latent prospects within the green hydrogen and ammonia industries, culminating in the formulation of a pertinent national strategy,” the ministry says.

Outlined within the strategy is a comprehensive 12-point plan slated for execution by March 2025.

The ministry says central to the strategy’s agenda is the establishment of a robust operational framework, fostering the development of a cohesive network of collaborators, and nurturing shared prosperity for Namibians at large.

Furthermore, the strategy’s ambit contains the initiation of pilot projects aimed at cultivating knowledge reservoirs, nurturing local engineering, procurement, and construction entities, and fostering domestic capabilities in component manufacturing among other key milestones outlined in the ministry’s statement.

Last month, the government and Hyphen Hydrogen Energy launched the socio-economic development (SED) framework for Namibia’s landmark green hydrogen project.

This framework, which is an important part of the feasibility and implementation agreement, highlights the government’s dedication to assimilating SED benchmarks for green hydrogen developers for the execution of Namibia’s green hydrogen strategy.

The SED framework sets out the process to agree on the project’s targets concerning employment, local procurement, skills development, and enterprise and supplier development.

Hyphen estimates that the project will create up to 15 000 new jobs during the construction phase, and 3 000 permanent jobs during its operation upon completion of both phases.

There is a target for 90% of these jobs to be filled by Namibians, with 20% specifically targeting the youth.