STAFF WRITER
NAMIBIA Green Hydrogen Programme Head James Mnyupe said the country will accrue massive financial benefits in future if it aligns with the expected targets and guidelines for the European Union Carbon Scheme for Reduction for International Aviation (EU-CORSIA).
Speaking at a three-day workshop in Windhoek on Wednesday, Mnyupe said there are several opportunities that the wider green hydrogen industry can benefit from financially by producing products that are aligned to sustainable aviation.
Sustainable aviation targets use environmentally friendly fuels that are less detrimental to the ozone layer. It, however, only covers and monitors emissions for international airlines and does not scrutinise emissions at a local level.
“The essence of the matter is to look at some of these fuel products that are specifically targeted for usage by the EU-CORSIA and align our green industrialisation ambitions to produce such. We will make a lot of money from this in future. For example Nampower has a project that will convert biomass into electricity and the same product if it can be converted into fuel there are huge financial benefits.
“We have had this discussion in the past when discussions were about biomass but my view is that we are not only exporting charcoal bit the product has massive potential for local industry and can go a long way in producing for the local industry,” Mnyupe said.
Speaking at the same workshop British Environmental Expert Mark Latimer emphasised the importance of countries meeting the standards set for sustainable aviation that will reduce carbon emission.
He called for Namibia to align itself with the requirements in future.
“There is an element of safety that comes when fuels are being mixed but it is important to have sustainable aviation mechanisms in place,” he said.
Executive Director of the Namibia Civil Aviation Authority Toska Sem said Namibia is committed to meeting set standards for sustainable aviation.
She said the country aligns to the global and continental expectations and regulations for sustainable aviation in future.
“Namibia has voluntarily participated in the CORSIA scheme since 2017. In 2016, we submitted our first State Action Plan (SAP) to ICAO, demonstrating our intent to take meaningful steps toward aviation decarbonization. Over the years, we have worked collaboratively with ICAO, the European Union, and other partners to build national capacity, develop regulations, and improve our policy frameworks,” she said.
Sem said NCAA recognised the need to identify key implementers which birthed the SAP Steering Committee, composed of representatives from regulators, operators, ministerial agencies, academia, and development partners.
“I must admit that this committee has become the engine for holistically driving national action on environmental protection more specially in aviation.
“We have made substantial progress. Namibia joined the ICAO Assistance, Capacity- building and Training for Sustainable Aviation Fuel acronym/alias ACT-SAF programme in June 2024, participated in the development of a continental SAF strategy under the African Union, hosted with the same EU-CORSIA Project SAP and CORSIA national trainings, and policy review sessions especially aligned with our National Transport Policy 2025–2035 to name a few,” she said.
Sem added that the government has already declared green hydrogen a strategic pillar for national development.
“Sustainable aviation fuel production is a natural extension of that vision.
Furthermore, SAF development aligns well with the Paris Agreement temperature goals, the ICAO Long-Term Aspirational Goal (LTAG) of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and our own National Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Energy Policy.
“By integrating SAF into our transport and energy development strategies, we are not only reducing emissions, but we are also creating jobs, fostering energy independence, and positioning Namibia as a global contributor to clean aviation,” she said.
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