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The Hyphen project spans a footprint of 115km. To put this in perspective, Namibia’s land size is 824,292 km and the Tsau //Khaeb National Park is 22,000 km.

Latest estimates from Hyphen Hydrogen Energy indicate that the project will at most have a 0.7% footprint and is targeting to reduce this impact further, with over 90% of this impact in the least environmentally sensitive areas of the park. The park is a multi-use park and as such has been the economic backbone of the Namibian economy since the early 1900s with the discovery of diamonds, which are still mined in the park today.

The location for the first hydrogen valley to be developed, of which Hyphen is the first project, was selected by the GRN.

Namibia is one of the few countries in the world where protection of the environment is enshrined in its highest law, the Constitution. This clear indicator shows how seriously the Government takes preservation of its natural environment.

Hyphen and GRN are committed to upholding the highest environmental standards and developing the project in a way that mitigates or limits any environmental impacts. We have assembled a team of Namibia’s and the region’s most knowledgeable environmental experts to advise and undertake studies on the least impactful manner in which the project could be developed. Additionally, Hyphen has incorporated the ecology of the project area into the design of the project, to avoid highly sensitive biodiversity and bird areas as an example.

Not only are we aligned with Namibian environmental legislation, but the project is being designed to achieve alignment with the strictest international environmental protection standards to ensure crucial ecosystems are carefully managed and protected.

From the inception of the project, we have recognised the uniqueness of the ecosystems in the Tsau ||Khaeb National Park and the need to design our project in harmony with these systems.

Hyphen is committed to developing the project not only in accordance with Namibia’s constitution and environmental legislation but also to the highest international standards, most notably the International Finance Corporation’s Performance Standard 6 on Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Management of Living Natural Resources, which is widely recognised as the benchmark for global best practice.

Hyphen has recruited its own team of environmental specialists and enlisted an external team of Namibia’s and Africa’s most experienced and knowledgeable environmental experts to advise and carry out studies on the most environmentally responsible ways to develop the project. Hyphen’s appointed global environmental consulting firm SLR as its environmental practitioner to guide the project through the process.

Hyphen has undertaken a significant amount of early phase Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (“ESIA”) work, given the scale and complexity of the project and sensitivity of the environment. To date, Hyphen has carried out screening work, field work aimed at improving its understanding of the environmental baseline and planning for the scoping and impact assessment phases. The early baseline work comprised extensive ecology field work to help Hyphen design the ESIA process and inform the design of the project.

Engagement with potential stakeholders, interested parties, and communities will all take place in accordance with the Namibian environmental assessment process as mandated by law, and in terms of international best practice. Extensive public consultation efforts are planned as part of the forthcoming ESIA process. These efforts include for example legally mandated newspaper notices, notices broadcast over the radio and public as well as focus group meetings at a local community level, all during the first round of consultations early during the scoping phase of the ESIA. Subsequent rounds of consultation will also take place at the end of the scoping and assessment phases of the forthcoming ESIA.

Hyphen and the GRN have agreed a Socio-economic Development (SED) Framework that ensures the benefits and opportunities of this pioneering green hydrogen project are enjoyed by all Namibians throughout the country. The framework ensures that the project maximises benefits for Namibians by focusing on key areas such as training, education, job creation and localisation. GRN and Hyphen have taken inspiration from economic development frameworks from around the world to ensure inclusion of the most progressive practices, and to ensure that the project’s impact is inclusive and beneficial to local communities. The partnership will hold itself to the highest possible standards.

It is estimated that the project will create up to 15,000 new jobs during the construction phase, and 3,000 permanent jobs during its operation, with the target for 90% of these jobs to be filled by Namibians and 20% by youth. Estimated figures will be verified in the feasibility phase through baseline studies, transitioning them to firm figures for GRN approval under an agreed governance process.