Green hydrogen chief James Mnyupe passes the torch

It has been the highest honour of my professional journey to serve the government and the people of the Republic of Namibia, both as the economic adviser to our late president, Hage Geingob, as well as the green hydrogen commissioner and head of the Namibia Green Hydrogen Programme.

I remain deeply grateful for the trust and confidence placed in me to lead this national initiative to diversify our economy, create meaningful employment, and position Namibia as a global player in the emerging green industrialisation space.

Through this role, I have been privileged to contribute to advancing Namibia’s long-term prosperity, empowering our youth, while working alongside dedicated public servants, private sector leaders, and international partners.

The collective progress achieved thus far stands as a testament to the government’s visionary leadership and the resilience of the Namibian people.

As I step aside, I do so with pride in the milestones we have attained together and with great optimism for the future of Namibia’s green hydrogen sector and broader green industrialisation agenda.

I have full confidence in the staff members at the programme that are tasked with carrying this important work forward and I remain committed to supporting the national vision in any way I can during my last days and in future.

I therefore remain at the disposal of our government and the programme to assist in furthering this nascent industry even beyond my departure.

As I look ahead, I am honoured to announce that I will be joining thyssenkrupp Uhde as senior vice president for sub-Saharan Africa – one of the most prominent engineering, procurement and construction companies globally.

Uhde has built over 2 500 chemical plants globally and has expertise to envision, design and deliver the very same plants Namibia’s government has envisioned over the past five years – from oil and gas to green hydrogen and beyond.

Uhde is a part of the broader thyssenkrupp group which is a listed conglomerate, with almost 100 000 employees and €38 billion (approximately N$770 billion) in annual revenue.

I aim to establish a thyssenkrupp Uhde presence in Namibia and mobilise the group’s know-how and resources necessary to unlock the industrial clusters envisioned by the government and our private sector.

Similarly, joining the Namibia Green Hydrogen Association as a corporate member that will help realise the ambitions of the sector and government, will be a key priority for me.

Being part of an emerging and exciting industry like this is not only a very exciting prospect for thyssenkrupp Uhde, but feels like an amazing opportunity for someone like me who has been there from its inception and is well versed in its future potential for the citizens of Namibia and the continent at large.

One could just look at the African green industrialisation initiative in Kenya from president William Ruto, and South Africa’s renewable energy masterplan to start gleaning into the potential that is to be unlocked on the continent in this exciting space.

Excitingly, Uhde is part of the thyssenkrupp Decarbon Technologies segment, which is a grouping of the thyssenkrupp’s key businesses focused on enabling the green transformation of industry by providing innovative technologies for sectors like hydrogen, ammonia, and methanol production, polymers, cement, lime, and renewable energies.

Launched on 1 October 2023, this segment bundles established companies such as thyssenkrupp rothe erde, thyssenkrupp Uhde, thyssenkrupp Polysius, and thyssenkrupp nucera to offer integrated solutions for CO2 reduction and sustainable growth.

Insights from these entities and more will be bespokely packaged and brought to the doorsteps of interested Namibian and African leaders.

The journey I have walked since September 2020 could not have been possible without the full and unequivocal support of the government of the Republic of Namibia.

Words cannot express the thanks and gratitude for all of my principals and colleagues for helping Namibia establish itself on the global map as one of the global leaders advancing the next technological wave on the world’s transition to sustainable renewable energy and the exciting and transformative opportunity this journey presents for Namibia.

Finally, my family has borne the brunt of the pressures that came with the above responsibilities.

To my wife, Natassja Mnyupe, our children and the broader House Mnyups village – you have all been the rock that has enabled me to achieve beyond what was humanly possible.
Thank you, and much love as always.

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