Disinterest in green hydrogen birthed ‘secrecy’ perceptions - Mnyupe
Green hydrogen commissioner James Mnyupe says Namibians - who were generally disinterested in the country’s green hydrogen plan - fuelled allegations of secrecy around the project because so much progress had been made by the time many citizens started taking an interest in the matter.
Speaking in Windhoek yesterday, he dismissed talks that the project is being negotiated in secret.
Namibia launched its ambitious green hydrogen project in March 2021, together with the second phase of the Harambee Prosperity Plan (HPP) and, Mnyupe said, despite early attempts to get buy-in for the project, Namibians doubted its outcomes.
Namibia’s green hydrogen ambitions have drawn wide scepticism - partly due to a requirement that government pay for a 24% stake in the US$10 billion (about N$185 billion) project Belgian company Hyphen Hydrogen Energy proposed. Another reason for concern is linked to government’s secretive handling of the project.
A general lack of interest
"If I speak candidly, when we started the journey and we started articulating these things in the HPP, I think there was a fair amount of disinterest from some of the members of the Namibian public. I think they thought this was too complex; they didn’t think it was viable, so the public really didn’t engage as much as we hoped they would,” Mnyupe said.
Recent advancements however propelled Namibians' interest in the industry, he said.
“I think two years on, the level of attention Namibia has gathered has now woken up a lot of people to the opportunity set."
Proposed equity stake
Touching on the contentious issue of the proposed equity stake in Hyphen, Mnyupe said Namibia stood to benefit greatly, because it was using grant funding to fund a feasibility study into the viability of the project, and not its own resources.
“If we get to financial close for Hyphen and we have done feasibility - and the project is deemed financially feasible and environmentally feasible - we can sell down our equity stake, make some money, but keep some wealth,” he said.
“The €40 million [about N$796 million] we are getting in grant funding, it’s not a loan, so, if we spend €23 million, €24 million to develop Hyphen and Hyphen does not work out, we don’t owe anyone any money,” he added.
Speaking in Windhoek yesterday, he dismissed talks that the project is being negotiated in secret.
Namibia launched its ambitious green hydrogen project in March 2021, together with the second phase of the Harambee Prosperity Plan (HPP) and, Mnyupe said, despite early attempts to get buy-in for the project, Namibians doubted its outcomes.
Namibia’s green hydrogen ambitions have drawn wide scepticism - partly due to a requirement that government pay for a 24% stake in the US$10 billion (about N$185 billion) project Belgian company Hyphen Hydrogen Energy proposed. Another reason for concern is linked to government’s secretive handling of the project.
A general lack of interest
"If I speak candidly, when we started the journey and we started articulating these things in the HPP, I think there was a fair amount of disinterest from some of the members of the Namibian public. I think they thought this was too complex; they didn’t think it was viable, so the public really didn’t engage as much as we hoped they would,” Mnyupe said.
Recent advancements however propelled Namibians' interest in the industry, he said.
“I think two years on, the level of attention Namibia has gathered has now woken up a lot of people to the opportunity set."
Proposed equity stake
Touching on the contentious issue of the proposed equity stake in Hyphen, Mnyupe said Namibia stood to benefit greatly, because it was using grant funding to fund a feasibility study into the viability of the project, and not its own resources.
“If we get to financial close for Hyphen and we have done feasibility - and the project is deemed financially feasible and environmentally feasible - we can sell down our equity stake, make some money, but keep some wealth,” he said.
“The €40 million [about N$796 million] we are getting in grant funding, it’s not a loan, so, if we spend €23 million, €24 million to develop Hyphen and Hyphen does not work out, we don’t owe anyone any money,” he added.
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