WINDHOEK — President Nangolo Mbumba has refuted recent media claims suggesting that the Namibian government has expended nearly N.dollars 380 million on green hydrogen initiatives, clarifying that these funds have come from private companies rather than state coffers.

According to Namibia Press Agency, During a Monday meeting with Austria’s 10th Federal Chancellor, Alfred Gusenbauer, President Mbumba addressed the controversy, emphasizing that the financing for these green hydrogen projects was provided by external businesses. A report earlier that day had alleged government spending on consultancy services, feasibility studies, and related expenses for green hydrogen development across Namibia. “The article is reading as if we are [government] the ones splashing money on something… we are not spending the people’s money, we are attracting companies to come do business with us, develop industries here and create jobs here,” Mbumba explained.

The clarification comes as Namibia seeks to bolster its position in the emerging green hydrogen sector, with ongoing collaborations involving Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium. Mbumba’s conversation with the Austrian delegation aimed to extend similar invitations to invest in Namibia’s green hydrogen future. “We would like to ask you or attract you to the same area of business, where the others are doing,” he stated.

Notable projects mentioned in the disputed report include Hyphen Hydrogen Energy, the Dures Green Hydrogen Village, Cleanergy Solutions, HyRail, Hydrogene De France (HDF), HyIron, and Zhero, all of which form part of Namibia’s broader strategy to foster a sustainable energy sector.