Namibian activists criticize Global African Hydrogen Summit and planned hydrogen megaproject
Berlin, 2 September: From 3 to 5 September, the Namibian Government in Windhoek invites African governments and European partners, including the German Federal Government, to a Global African Hydrogen Summit. The Namibian government hopes for a new role for Africa as a supplier of ‘green hydrogen’ for the energy transition in Europe. Namibia plays an important role in the Federal Government's hydrogen strategy.
As early as 2030, the large-scale project "Hyphen" for the production of green hydrogen in the extreme south of Namibia near the city of Lüderitz is to produce 350,000 tonnes of hydrogen and 2 million tonnes of ammonia, respectively, produced from renewable energy from wind and sun. The project is supported by the German company Enertrag and the British project management company Nicholas Holding. Supply contracts with the German energy supplier RWE are already in place. In addition to the Hyphen project, other projects are currently being implemented with the participation of German and other European governments.
There is massive criticism from Namibian civil society, in particular about the planned Hyphen project. The award process is characterised by non-transparency and a lack of democratic participation. The rights of indigenous peoples are already being violated and massive environmental damage is expected in the future. In places where German colonial soldiers committed a genocide of the OvaHerero and Nama more than 100 years ago, the infrastructure for green hydrogen production is now to be built.
Paul Thomas, spokesperson for the Nama Traditional Leaders Association (NTLA), told journalists today: "Instead of addressing the fundamental issue of reparation for the genocide committed by Germany against the Nama and Ovaherero, Germany is once again using its privileged position to extract resources from the same country that has forcibly and unlawfully robbed the Nama people. The spirit that led the colonial rulers to locate countries for colonization is the same one that drives the former colonial power today to meet the energy needs of the German population. History repeats itself through exploitative colonialism, which is portrayed as environmentally friendly in order to make the public’s imagination palatable – but for us, who feel the intergenerational effects of land grabbing, it is and remains greenwashing.”
Tjipura Unaune Tjipura of the Social Economic Justice Trust (ESJT) said: “There are many warning signs about the Hyphen project! The lack of comprehensibility and transparency from the start of the project is worrying. The Namibian Government has not conducted any disclosure or due diligence when awarding Hyphen, the largest tender in Namibia’s history. No agreement between two sovereign countries or between a government and a private company may be kept secret when public funds, resources and interests are at stake.’
Jimmy Areseb, an economic, social justice and community activist, said: “I am very concerned about the water issue: In our region, water from wells is currently being used for the Daures Green Hydrogen Project, and there is concern that such practices will affect the underground aquifers that are already under water pressure. And in the case of the Hyphen project, there are major concerns about the fundamental environmental impact and the protection of cultural heritage. We lack the checks and balances to be carried out before launching such a new major project.”
The signatory organisations support the criticism from Namibian civil society and will work to ensure that energy projects with Namibia avoid environmental damage, respect the rights of all population groups and, first and foremost, serve the energy security of the Namibian population.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact:
- Neelke Wagner, Climate and Resource Justice Officer at PowerShift, +49 (0)30 2472 4541, neelke.wagner@power-shift.de
- Adrian Bornmann, Public Relations Officer at PowerShift, 030-27590497, adrian.bornmann@power-shift.de
