The Chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Economy and Industry, Public Administration and Planning, Iipumbu Shiimi, said green hydrogen will be one of the leading technologies of energy sources in Namibia.

He made these remarks during the Parliamentary Standing Committee site visit to Cleanergy Solutions Namibia just outside Walvis Bay.

Shiimi said with Namibia producing ammonia through hydrogen, it would lessen importing  and create employment. 

He added that this new industry does not come without challenges, noting that skills development is a major challenge.

“But training and know-how creation take time. While we are training and building skills, it is also important to allow foreign experts to come in and train Namibians; otherwise, you will never be able to transfer that knowledge because know-how is learnt by doing from somebody who knows.”

Shiimi further added the Parliamentary Standing Committee will engage the responsible policy makers to discuss how they can further nurture this new green hydrogen industry.

A Cleanergy Development Committee Member, Eike Krafft, during his presentation at the site visit, said one of their main focuses is providing skills training.

Krafft also announced the corporation's plans on building a locomotive train that will run entirely on hydrogen.

"It is being built in South Africa; we are in discussions with TransNamib, and next year around March, I believe, we bring the locomotive here, and we want to cooperate with TransNamib to test it on the road from here to Windhoek, a hydrogen locomotive, with the hydrogen being supplied from this side, because there is no other side producing hydrogen."

 Cleanergy Solutions Namibia was founded in 2021 and is a joint venture between Ohlthaver & List Group and CMB.TECH.

The company opened Africa's first public hydrogen refuelling station in Walvis Bay and is planning a 50 billion green ammonia plant in Arandis to position Namibia as a clean energy hub.