•By Renthia Kaimbi

The Arandis Town Council recently convened a high-level stakeholder engagement aimed at strengthening intergovernmental and private sector collaboration on the future of green hydrogen. 

Speaking at the event, urban and rural development deputy minister Evelyn Nawases-Taeyele, described the gathering as an embodiment of Namibia’s great vision and strategic action towards a sustainable future.

“From the onset, it is common knowledge that the Namibia green hydrogen programme was officially established by the government with a bold and visionary mandate,” said Nawases-Taeyele. 

“[This mandate is] to effectively coordinate and accelerate the comprehensive development of a world-class green hydrogen economy that not only aligns with global sustainability but also sets a remarkable example for others to follow,” she added. 
Nawases-Taeyele further commended Cleanergy Solutions Namibia’s plan to invest N$50 billion in the construction of a commercial-scale green hydrogen and ammonia production plant at Arandis. 

This, she says, will position Namibia as a future leader in the global hydrogen market. The plant is set to host 900 megawatts of solar power and 500 megawatts of electrolysis capacity to produce an estimated 200,000 tonnes of ammonia annually.
“This next chapter is centred on two vital locations, Arandis and the port of Walvis Bay. These sites are of immense importance for our plans to scale up hydrogen production significantly. They will serve as the backbone of our operations, allowing us to integrate essential logistics infrastructure that is crucial for the efficient distribution of hydrogen,” she noted. 

In addition, Nawases-Taeyele framed this next stage as a shift from a "blue ocean strategy" and exploring new opportunities to a "red ocean strategy" focusing on competitive execution. 

Dr. Eline van der Linden of the Namibia green hydrogen programme said: “The Arandis Town Council is demonstrating clear foresight in its strategic plan and the Namibia green hydrogen programme is supporting these plans, inter alia, by creating functional models for common user infrastructure in the Erongo Region.”

The programme serves as a national platform, aligning the efforts of government, private sector players, research institutions and local communities in clean energy development. 

It further focuses on de-risking green hydrogen projects to attract investment, driving innovation, facilitating cutting-edge research, and promoting best practices to build a resilient sector.