Justicia Shipena
Minister of Industries, Mines and Energy Modestus Amutse says securing binding off-take agreements remains the biggest hurdle to turning Namibia’s green hydrogen ambitions into bankable projects.
Amutse was speaking at a ministerial roundtable on green industrialisation held on the sidelines of the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena) Assembly in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.
He said large-scale green hydrogen and derivative projects require long-term, binding off-take agreements to secure predictable revenues and justify multi-billion-dollar investments, especially for first-of-a-kind developments.
Under the sixth National Development Plan (NDP6), the green hydrogen economy is expected to support up to 30 000 jobs by 2030, increase export earnings and position Namibia as a strategic supplier to global markets seeking to cut emissions.
Amutse said infrastructure gaps remain a challenge and must be addressed, including ports, transmission lines, water supply and industrial hubs.
He added that developing local skills and manufacturing capacity is critical to ensure projects deliver real benefits within Namibia.
Amutse said the government is exploring targeted policy and financing tools to attract private capital, including contracts for difference and long-term off-take support mechanisms to bridge the cost gap between green products and fossil-based alternatives.
He referred to the SDG Namibia One Fund, which has a target size of about US$1 billion and will play a central role by using blended finance to reduce risk in early projects and mobilise private investment across renewable power, hydrogen, ammonia and downstream industries.
Amutse said regulatory processes are being streamlined, institutions strengthened and skills development expanded to improve project timelines and investor confidence.
The roundtable brought together ministers and decision-makers from the public and private sectors to chart a strategic path for green industrialisation.
Discussions focused on mobilising public and private capital through blended finance, concessional funding, project preparation and investment de-risking.
Project facilitation and investment matchmaking were highlighted as key tools to create bankable projects and connect them with climate-aligned investors.
Participants also called for stronger collaboration between academia, researchers, innovators and private enterprise.
Clean energy technology still concentrated in few regions
At the same roundtable, Irena director general Francesco La Camera said green industrialisation must move quickly from ambition to implementation if it is to deliver real economic and climate benefits.
He said green industrialisation is more than an energy transition strategy and should be seen as a pathway that aligns economic growth with climate action.
“By fostering industries powered by renewables, we can create resilient economies, new value chains and inclusive opportunities for all,” La Camera said.
He said turning strategy into finance-ready projects depends on three linked enablers: energy and processing infrastructure, skilled human capital and access to finance. He said limited infrastructure continues to restrict investment and slow project scaling, while skills shortages remain a barrier in many regions.
“Even with infrastructure and skills in place, progress will stall without access to finance,” he said, adding that innovative financial instruments and guarantee mechanisms are needed to attract private capital and reduce risk.
La Camera said aligned infrastructure, skills and finance can deliver local value addition, job creation, innovation and improved competitiveness, while supporting a just energy transition. He also warned that global manufacturing capacity for technologies such as solar, wind, batteries and hydrogen remains concentrated in a few regions.
He added that diversifying supply chains would improve resilience and create regional opportunities.
Meanwhile, deputy speaker of the National Assembly of Namibia Phillipus Katamelo said the country’s momentum resulted from a sequence of deliberate reforms that built clarity and confidence for investors.
He said the creation of a dedicated national green hydrogen programme improved coordination and procurement clarity, while partnership-led private sector entry frameworks reduced risk and ensured national value creation.
Katamelo said land access and permitting reforms improved predictability for investors, while risk-sharing arrangements saw the government absorb early coordination risks and private developers carry construction and operational risk.
The 16th Irena Assembly convened from 11 to 12 January 2026 in Abu Dhabi and brought together about 1 500 ministers, senior officials, CEOs, investors and youth representatives from IRENA’s 171 member states.
Discussions focused on regional energy transitions, power grids, energy planning, digital innovation, mobilising finance, sustainable aviation fuels and green industrialisation.
The Assembly also launched the 2026 Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, running from 11 to 15 January.
Captions
Photo 1 – Minister of Industries, Mines and Energy Modestus Amutse speaking at a ministerial roundtable on green industrialisation during the International Renewable Energy Agency Assembly in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.
Photo 2 – Delegates who attended a ministerial roundtable on green industrialisation at the International Renewable Energy Agency Assembly in Abu Dhabi.
- Photos: IRENA
