Hyphen Hydrogen Energy has announced plans to begin its Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) process in early 2025.
Marco Raffinetti, Hyphen’s CEO, emphasized the importance of public engagement in the ESIA process, which will evaluate the potential impacts of the green hydrogen project on the environment and surrounding communities.
“We encourage all interested Namibians to be on the lookout for the launch of this process and to register to participate. Stakeholder engagement is a critical part of the ESIA process, and it is important for Hyphen to ensure that all stakeholders have an opportunity to contribute,” Raffinetti said.
The ESIA is a vital component of the project, ensuring that environmental and social considerations are integrated into the decision-making process. It identifies potential risks, proposes mitigation measures, and ensures compliance with Namibian laws and international best practices. By doing so, it aims to safeguard biodiversity, protect community interests, and promote sustainable development as Namibia embarks on this large-scale renewable energy initiative.
In preparation for the ESIA, Hyphen has enlisted environmental assessment practitioner SLR to gather essential terrestrial ecological baseline data throughout 2024. This includes information on vegetation, avifauna, and mammals, which will guide efforts to reduce the project’s ecological footprint.
“Gaining a thorough understanding of the baseline environment is essential for designing a project that minimizes environmental impact. This data collection will continue through 2025,” Raffinetti added.
Hyphen has also engaged in extensive outreach efforts, participating in forums such as the National Green Hydrogen Roadshow and regional summits. These engagements aim to raise awareness about the project and its Socio-Economic Development (SED) Framework, which details how Namibians can benefit from employment and local opportunities tied to the initiative.
“The team had the pleasure of participating and exhibiting at several forums, including the Local Content Conference, Oil & Gas Summit, and the Association of Local Authorities (ALAN) Summit. These engagements were crucial for raising awareness of the project and fostering collaboration with stakeholders,” Raffinetti noted.
Hyphen Hydrogen Energy, a Namibian-registered company, was awarded rights through a public tender to develop the country’s first large-scale green hydrogen project on state-owned land. The project, a joint venture between ENERTRAG SE and Nicholas Holdings Limited, forms the cornerstone of Namibia’s strategy to create a large-scale green hydrogen industry aimed at fostering economic growth and supporting global decarbonization goals.
Once fully operational, the project is expected to produce 2 million tonnes of green ammonia annually for regional and international markets. It will leverage approximately 7 GW of renewable energy capacity and 3 GW of electrolyzer capacity, reducing global CO₂ emissions by 5-6 million tonnes annually. This reduction exceeds Namibia’s total annual emissions of 4.01 million tonnes in 2021.
