Why Namibia’s green energy dream could be a red flag for penguins

A near pristine desert and coastal wilderness in Namibia could soon host a huge hydrogen production facility, raising hopes for jobs but also fears for the unique plant and animal life of the region, such as rare succulents and endangered African penguins. It is part of the government’s plan to become a green hydrogen superpower, exporting a clean-burning fuel that could help cut emissions elsewhere. Hyphen, a joint venture led by the Germany-based green energy group Enertrag, says Namibia has the “world class” solar and wind power potential needed for large-scale, competitive production.

Hydrogen, a highly flammable gas that produces heat and water when it burns, can be used to refine petroleum and make chemicals, metals and fertilisers. It is usually produced with fossil fuels, however when renewable energy sources are used instead the hydrogen is labelled “green”. But the plan to build solar and wind farms in Namibia’s Tsau ǁKhaeb National Park, which means “Soft Sands” in the Nama language, is not supported by conservationists.

The 26,000 sq km (10,000 sq mile) park was established in 2004 out of what was known as the “Sperrgebiet” – German for “Restricted Area” – a vast swathe of land sealed off by the German colonial authorities to protect their mining interests when diamonds were discovered there at the beginning of the 20th Century. The diamond rush came and went – allowing a unique richness of flora and fauna to flourish undisturbed, which the Namibian Chamber of the Environment (NCE) says is now in danger. Succulents in particular thrive in this unforgiving landscape using ingenious strategies to survive, from water storage to light reflection.

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The NCE has issued a report suggestingthe project should be labelled “red hydrogen” as it risked driving many unique species on to the biodiversity “red list”. Its head, Chris Brown, puts it more bluntly, saying industrialised countries like Germany, which is actively supporting the green hydrogen projects, are applying double standards.

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