National Green Hydrogen Roadshows continue in Kunene, Oshikoto and Ohangwena

The National Green Hydrogen Roadshow continued its tour across Namibia this week visiting Kunene, Oshikoto, and Ohangwena. The roadshows, organised by the Government of the Republic of Namibia (GRN) and Hyphen Hydrogen Energy (Hyphen), have been crisscrossing the country to engage with stakeholders and communities, sharing information on the Hyphen project and the Socio-economic Development (SED) Framework.

The roadshow meetings were led by Hon. Obeth Mbui Kandjoze, Director General of the National Planning Commission and Chairperson of the Green Hydrogen Council, and his team, with support from Hyphen. The roadshows gave people from the towns and regions an opportunity to ask questions and Hyphen was able to share information about the opportunities the project is bringing to Namibia. There were also meetings with groups representing government, businesses, civil society and youth.

Toni Beukes, Hyphen’s Head of Environment, Sustainability and Governance, said: “Hyphen’s SED Framework, which is designed to make sure the project’s benefits are shared with the local community, will provide opportunities for local businesses, create jobs and support local infrastructure development. Both Hyphen and the GRN want to listen to Namibians and answer their questions as part of an open and transparent conversation about the project, its timelines and its goals. We believe that the benefits from our green hydrogen project will empower and uplift Namibians across our country, and the great turn-out from people at the roadshows proves there’s a strong interest in the scheme.”

The Hyphen project is the first step in implementing GRN’s strategy to establish a large-scale green hydrogen industry in Namibia to support the country’s economic growth. The total investment of US$10 billion – roughly the equivalent of Namibia’s annual GDP – will help transform Namibia. The project is estimated to create up to 15,000 new jobs during the construction phase and 3,000 permanent jobs during its operation, with a target for around 90 per cent of these jobs to be filled by Namibians. Hyphen also has a target of 30 per cent local procurement for goods, services, and materials throughout the construction and operational phases.