Scientists have warned the critically endangered African penguin could be extinct in the wild by 2035 as Namibia pursues large-scale hydrogen ambitions. The proposed development—solar and wind farms and an associated port expansion in and around Tsau ǁKhaeb National Park—promises jobs and export revenue but has sparked alarm among conservationists over risks to rare succulents, coastal birds and marine habitat.
Hydrogen plan and Tsau ǁKhaeb National Park: the facts
The government-backed project, launched in 2022 and led by Hyphen Hydrogen Energy, is estimated to cost US$10 billion and aims to position Namibia as a major exporter of low-carbon fuels. Hyphen, a joint venture led by the Germany-based green energy group Enertrag, says Namibia has “world class” solar and wind potential for large-scale production. The project is sited in and around Tsau ǁKhaeb National Park, a 26, 000 sq km tract created from the former Sperrgebiet.
Hydrogen—defined in planning documents as a flammable gas that produces heat and water when burned and commonly produced with fossil fuels unless renewable power is used—would be generated using planned solar and wind infrastructure. Project targets cited include long-term production goals measured in millions of tonnes per annum of hydrogen equivalent and stated ambition for net-zero emissions by 2050.
Biodiversity stakes and political fault lines
Conservation groups warn the development footprint threatens a near-pristine desert and coastal wilderness that has hosted undisturbed flora and fauna for decades. The Namibian Chamber of the Environment (NCE) released a report urging the project be labelled “red hydrogen” on the grounds it risks pushing unique species onto the biodiversity “red list. ” Chris Brown, head of the Namibian Chamber of the Environment, said: “The Germans would never allow their top parks to be turned into industrial sites. But they seem to be quite happy to offshore not only the risk, but also the impacts on biodiversity to Namibia. And we find that totally unacceptable. “
Coastal concerns are concentrated where port expansion is proposed near the Namibian Islands’ Marine Protected Area—a 400 km stretch that supports the critically endangered African penguin. Neil Shaw of the Namibian Foundation for the Conservation of Seabirds (Namcob) said the planned port area “is a particularly bio-sensitive hotspot” and warned that expansion “can have quite severe ramifications on the marine ecosystem that the penguins and other coastal birds rely on. ” Hyphen has stated it is attempting to minimise disturbance, avoid the most sensitive sites and leave the smallest possible footprint.
Political debate deepens the uncertainty. Landless People’s Movement parliamentarian Eneas Emvula criticised the project as a political tool, saying: “The confession by the minister proved that these ‘national’ short-lived projects are personal dreams that these presidents sold to the country, not investors, by way of political campaign messages to solicit votes. ” Minister of Industries, Mines and Energy Modestus Amutse acknowledged there is no stand-alone green hydrogen act in parliament but maintained that the sector falls under existing legislation, stating: “Although there is no stand-alone act enacted by parliament, the sector is not unregulated, as it is governed by a comprehensive body of legislation. “
Government communications add another layer: Jonas Mbambo, press secretary, described the initiative as part of Namibia’s development vision and said NDP6 recognises oil and gas opportunities alongside green fuels: “At the same time, the Sixth National Development Plan (NDP6) also recognises opportunities in oil and gas, which means Namibia is pursuing a balanced energy approach, where one sector does not cancel out the other. ” Political analyst Sakaria Johannes commented on shifting priorities, saying: “The government seems to have reversed or the focus shifted to oil and gas. The dream seems to be impossible. “
Regional ripples and an unsettled future
The project sits at the intersection of conservation, industrial expansion and political economics. If implemented at projected scale, infrastructure and port expansion would reshape the local economy in and around Lüderitz, potentially increasing fishing and industrial activity while placing pressure on marine and coastal ecosystems already identified as critical for endangered seabirds. Scientists’ warnings about African penguins add urgency to assessments of cumulative risk.
Policy inconsistencies—ambitions for large-scale renewable-driven production juxtaposed with the absence of a dedicated regulatory act and a stated openness to oil and gas—leave the project’s trajectory uncertain. Stakeholders face a constrained set of trade-offs made explicit by the data: a US$10 billion investment promise and multi-million-tonne production targets versus the vulnerability of a 26, 000 sq km protected landscape, a 400 km marine protected coastline, and a bird species that may vanish in the wild by 2035.
Will Namibia reconcile its hydrogen ambitions with the conservation imperatives for penguins and succulents, or will those ecological costs be written off as the country pursues economic diversification through energy projects such as hydrogen?
