National Assembly deputy speaker Phillipus Katamelo says Namibia’s clear reforms have set the country apart as a leader in the green hydrogen industry, offering fast moving market strategies.
He said this on Saturday while attending the 16th session of the Assembly of the International Renewable Energy (Irena), in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
“Namibia’s momentum in green hydrogen did not arise from a single policy decision, but from a sequence of deliberate reforms that created clarity, credibility, and confidence for investors,” Katamelo said.
He said Namibia is viewed as a fast-moving market with a clear strategy, strong political backing and emerging green hydrogen leadership.
He noted that this was due to strategic clarity and political anchoring decisiveness, with the government signalling early that green hydrogen is a national economic pillar, embedded within Vision 2030, the fifth National Development Plan, and Namibia’s updated climate commitments.
This alignment across planning, energy, and industrial policy, Katamelo said, reduced policy uncertainty and gave long-term confidence to the market.
“The establishment of a dedicated national green hydrogen programme created a single entry point for investors, streamlined decision-making across ministries, and clarified how projects move from concept to approval. This reduced fragmentation and accelerated timelines,” he said.
Katamelo said private sector entry frameworks were intentionally de-risked and Namibia adopted a partnership-led model, using competitive processes, strategic memorandum of understandings, and phased project development rather than ad hoc licensing.
Industries, mines and energy minister Modestus Amutse yesterday said green hydrogen represents a strategic opportunity for Namibia to deepen industrialisation and participate in emerging global low-carbon value chains.
He said Namibia has developed a green hydrogen strategy and roadmap, which outlines priority project areas, enabling infrastructure requirements, regulatory and institutional measures,and skills development needs.
“Our approach focuses on leveraging green hydrogen to support domestic industrial applications, such as green steel and fertilisers, while also positioning Namibia as a future exporter of green hydrogen and its derivatives,” said Amutse.
The Irena brought together around 1 500 participants, including ministers, legislative leaders, senior delegates, chief executives, investors and youth representatives from its 171 member states.
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