Green hydrogen: 250 000 jobs targeted by 2040

The green hydrogen sector will likely create more than 250 000 jobs by 2040. This according to Joseph Mukendwa, head of planning and skills development at the Green Hydrogen Commission.Speaking during a media briefing held at the commission's offices yesterday, he said they are now in the process of coming up with a comprehensive skills development strategy and plan to determine the skills needed for the new sector. “We are looking to establish a body that has representatives from all these key stakeholders and we are referring to it as the national task force on skills development, education and research," he said."There is this myth that the green skills that are going to be needed are going to be very specialised, but what is coming out of the research that is being done internally and locally, you will actually find that the kind of skills that are needed are solar panel installers, wind turbine technicians, health and safety personnel, welders, technicians, truck drivers, bricklayers, plumbers and pipefitters,” Mukendwa said.Join handsNamibia Green Hydrogen Programme impact and environmental, social and governance head, Eline van der Linden, explained that over 400 individuals have already been employed in the green hydrogen sector while approximately N$170 million has been pumped into the economy through various small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) for a range of services. While some of these jobs are permanent, most are temporary.She mentioned that this is perhaps an opportune time to review the Environmental Management Act to see whether there is a need to update it to accommodate the new practices that are coming into play now.“We also know that given the size of Namibia, it is extremely difficult to manage the environmental plans, so we are looking at some solutions in that space, drawing in some officials from other ministries to help with oversight and keep in check. The ministry of agriculture is going into the field, we are going into the field; maybe we can join hands,” she said.Global interestGreen hydrogen commissioner James Mnyupe said the Hyphen Hydrogen Energy project has reached several pivotal milestones, including completing pre-FEED (front-end engineering design) engineering and installing 10 meteorological masts crucial for data collection. According to him, the project has attracted global interest, with memorandums of understanding (MoUs) signed to supply over one million tonnes of green ammonia annually. Furthermore, the HyIron project is scheduled to receive Namibia's first green iron kiln, a furnace, in September, as the project aims to produce 15 000 tonnes of direct reduced iron each year, setting a new standard in green industrialisation. Mnyupe added that the recently-inaugurated Cleanergy Solutions project is on track to begin green hydrogen production by the last quarter of this year, with 80% of the project already completed. He noted the Daures Green Hydrogen Village, which is nearing completion, is expected to start green hydrogen and ammonia production by the end of this year.jemima@nmh-hub.com.na

Green hydrogen: 250 000 jobs targeted by 2040

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-04

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Green hydrogen: 250 000 jobs targeted by 2040

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-04

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