The “Localising Green Industries in Namibia” study, conducted by Systemiq from December 2023 to May this year, was officially launched on Tuesday at a side-event during the ongoing Global African Hydrogen Summit.

The session aimed to present and discuss the study’s findings and recommendations with key stakeholders from the government and private sector.  Furthermore, to explore how they can formulate future Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for the development of green hydrogen projects in Namibia.  Deputy mines minister Kornelia Shilunga launched the study. The study, completed in May 2024, identified actionable steps for green industrialisation, with a focus on key industries such as iron, lithium and rare earth elements. 

Moreover, the study highlighted Namibia’s strengths, analysed global market trends, and provided pathways for overcoming key bottlenecks to unlock green industrial value chains. 

The results represent a crucial step towards establishing a green industrial base in Namibia. 

Among the recommendations were leveraging the mining sector’s capabilities as a cornerstone for advancing a unified green industrialisation agenda, and enacting an enabling legislative framework to unlock Namibia’s green industry potential. 

“One of the key messages from this study is that Namibia’s mining sector can play a role in our green industrialisation plans. We already have a strong mining industry, and by building on this foundation, we can then lead the way in producing green materials that are in high demand worldwide,” highlighted Shilunga.  She further urged the Namibian people to participate in this journey.

“We need to work together to make this journey a reality. The recommendations in this study will guide us as we move forward with our new projects, especially in the green hydrogen sector, which holds great promise for our country. These documents represent our shared commitment to driving forward Namibia’s green industrialisation agenda,” she added.  At the same event, Green Hydrogen Commissioner James Mnyupe presented the findings of the study, emphasising the insights and opportunities.

“The study shows the practical steps that the Namibian government and private sector would have to implement to establish a sustainable and competitive industrial sector,” he remarked. 

He further emphasised the benefits of the findings of the study, citing, “Green iron is an interesting opportunity to start decarbonising the sectors, but interestingly, not in Germany or China, but right here in Namibia.”

Furthermore, he mentioned how Namibia can grow economically. “Instead of just exporting lithium concentrate, we could try to process it here and make lithium hydroxide,” he noted. 

The findings from this study are expected to shape further discussions around green hydrogen, guiding future focus areas and improvements.