Vice-president visits Lüderitz hydrogen project
Vice-president, Lucia Witbooi, visited the Hyphen green hydrogen project in Lüderitz recently, touring the company's office, Angra Point and the concession area in the Tsau ||Khaeb.
Witbooi was joined by senior government representatives.
The delegation visited Angra Point, the site of planned port infrastructure for the export of green hydrogen derivatives, and the Tsau ||Khaeb concession area, where Hyphen is developing the project under a concession agreement signed with the government in June 2023. The project is structured as a public-private partnership, with the government holding a 24% interest.
In her remarks, the vice-president reaffirmed the government's position. “The Government of the Republic of Namibia fully supports the development of the green hydrogen sector, and the Hyphen project as the flagship project and strategic catalyst within the sector.”
Witbooi said the project was being advanced through processes aligned with Namibia's Sixth National Development Plan (NDP6), and that the green hydrogen sector offered a pathway to job creation, inclusive growth and economic diversification, including much-needed economic development in the south.
The vice-president said economic progress must safeguard both environmental integrity and cultural heritage. She highlighted efforts in skills development, enterprise and supplier development and local content participation as mechanisms to broaden the benefits of the sector, and encouraged Namibian businesses to engage with Hyphen, noting the company's efforts to develop a supplier database and support domestic enterprises.
Witbooi called for alignment across government, regional leadership, traditional authorities and communities, saying the success of the sector would depend on coordinated national effort. Hyphen chief executive Marco Raffinetti said: "We are honoured to have the opportunity to host Her Excellency the Vice President, senior Government and regional and local leadership at the project site. This visit reinforces the strength of our partnership with the Government and our shared commitment to delivering a project that is transformative for Namibia and its people."
The visit concluded with a call for unity, clarity of purpose and sustained collaboration to realise the potential of Namibia's green hydrogen programme.
