Namibia’s ambition to build a large-scale green hydrogen industry is facing a persistent workforce challenge, with industry leaders warning that a shortage of skilled Namibian professionals could hinder the transition from pilot projects to commercial-scale operations.
The issue was highlighted at the Africa Green Industries Summit in Swakopmund, where industry participants, investors and public-sector representatives discussed the skills needed to support Namibia’s emerging green hydrogen economy.
Namibia aims to create 30,000 jobs by 2030 through the development of its green hydrogen industry. As projects move towards commercial production, the sector will require specialised expertise in areas including chemical engineering, science and advanced welding.
Commercialisation requires skilled local workforce
Namibia’s green hydrogen sector has progressed from pilot-stage developments towards commercial opportunities, including projects involving low-carbon iron and ammonia fertiliser.
National Planning Commission Director General Ambassador Kaire Mbuende said an industrial economy could not permanently depend on importing the people it needs.
He said the Youth for Green Hydrogen Scholarship Programme is training young Namibians in technical fields to prepare them for the industry.
Joseph Mukendwa, interim Head of the Namibia Green Hydrogen Programme, also identified a shortage of local capacity alongside the sector’s funding gap.
Research and partnerships needed
Andreas Elombo, Head of the National Energy Institute, highlighted the need for highly skilled technical professionals and increased investment in research and development to maximise green hydrogen’s contribution to Namibia’s energy sector.
Academic and research institutions can support the transition through research, knowledge development, training and workforce capacity-building.
Professor Nelago Indongo, Executive Director of the Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL), said stronger partnerships between Namibian institutions would be essential for the country’s green industrial transition.
She stressed that research and data are needed to support better decisions and translate academic work into practical solutions.
Green hydrogen linked to wider industrialisation
Namibia’s green hydrogen strategy extends beyond hydrogen production, with low-carbon iron and ammonia fertiliser among the industrial opportunities expected to create economic opportunities.
Developing these industries will require expertise across engineering, scientific research, fabrication, construction and technical operations.
The skills gap therefore represents a wider industrialisation challenge, while building a domestic workforce could help ensure that more of the economic value generated by green hydrogen development remains within Namibia.
Bioenergy Business Analysis
Namibia’s workforce challenge illustrates an important condition of green industrialisation: capital and renewable resources alone are not sufficient to build a new industrial sector. Commercial green hydrogen projects require engineers, technicians, researchers and skilled tradespeople capable of delivering and operating increasingly complex infrastructure.
The country’s 30,000-job target gives workforce development an additional strategic dimension. Training programmes such as the Youth for Green Hydrogen Scholarship Programme can help create a domestic talent pipeline, but the summit discussions indicate that broader partnerships between industry, government and research institutions will also be necessary.
The emphasis on research and practical skills is particularly relevant as Namibia seeks to move beyond hydrogen production into low-carbon iron and ammonia fertiliser. Whether the country can develop sufficient local expertise alongside its industrial projects will be an important factor in determining how effectively green hydrogen translates into domestic industrial capacity and employment.
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