Mnyupe’s green hydrogen office appoints 7 executives

The Namibia Green Hydrogen Programme, led by James Mnyupe, has appointed seven executives to its inaugural office on three-year contracts from 1 February.

Mnyupe, who used to advise president Hage Geingob on economic affairs, was appointed as the country’s first green hydrogen commissioner by Geingob last year.

The green hydrogen office is run through the Ministry of Mines and Energy.

The office in August last year announced the available executive positions, facilitated by hiring agency Potentia.

Joseph Mukendwa takes on the role of policy, planning and strategy head, Eline van der Linden assumes the position of environmental, social and governance head, Nikol Hearn will be the head of transactions, Theopolina Kapani has been appointed as the technical and construction head, Roswitha Gomachas will lead the legal department, while Nerago Ndoroma-Neditunga heads the programme management office.

David Nghimwenavali has been named as Mnyupe’s executive assistant.

Giving an update on the green hydrogen programme, Mnyupe yesterday said his office has crafted a green industrialisation blueprint in collaboration with the Ministry of Industrialisation and Trade.

The document is slated for presentation to the Cabinet this month. “If endorsed, the blueprint will be released to the public, showcasing Namibia’s potential as a hub for clean manufacturing, diversified exports and increased employment opportunities,” Mnyupe said.

The office is also set to launch a market sounding exercise by the end of the second quarter of this year, which aims to gauge investor interest in developing assets crucial for cost-effective production in the envisioned green hydrogen valleys.

Meanwhile, the Namibia Hydrogen Fund Managers, a subsidiary of Mnyupe’s office, secured a grant of just under US$1 million from the United States Agency for International Development for the SDG Namibia One Fund.

The fund, managed with Climate Fund Managers and the Environmental Investment Fund of Namibia, aims to promote green energy, water access, job creation, emission reduction and sustainable economic growth, targeting a total fund value of US$1,15 billion.

Mnyupe said the developer of Namibia’s first large-scale green hydrogen project at Lüderitz, Hyphen Hydrogen Energy Namibia, will this month finalise pre-feasibility assessments and initiate the formal feasibility study phase.

“Engagements with the International Finance Corporation and local stakeholder meetings underscore Hyphen’s commitment to thorough socio-environmental responsibility,” he said.