President Nangolo Mbumba has defended Namibia’s pursuit of both oil exploration and renewable energy development, stating that the country’s energy strategy is aligned with global climate commitments, including the Paris Agreement.
This comes amid concerns about the potential contradiction between fossil fuel projects and decarbonization efforts, with Mbumba emphasizing that Namibia’s newly discovered oil resources would support a sustainable energy transition.
“The development of our newly discovered oil resources is not contradictory to our decarbonization agenda. It is part of a strategic energy mix that will enable us to transition sustainably,” Mbumba said.
Namibia’s approach forms part of a broader energy strategy that seeks to harness both conventional and renewable energy sources. Last year, Minister of Mines and Energy Tom Alweendo highlighted the country’s intent to utilize its fossil fuel resources to address domestic, regional, and continental energy demands.
Alweendo criticized calls by some developed nations for African countries to abandon fossil fuel development. “It is unreasonable that some countries and global interest groups attempt to discourage Africa from utilizing all its natural resources,” he said, adding that such groups label African oil and gas resources as “dirty, carbon-spewing” energy sources.
Namibia’s long-term energy vision includes becoming a global leader in green hydrogen production, with targets to produce green hydrogen by 2050 and plans to develop three hydrogen valleys across the country.
Simultaneously, Namibia’s oil and gas sector is gaining momentum following major discoveries in the Orange Basin, including the Graff-1, Venus-1, and Jonker-1X projects. The finds have attracted global energy giants such as TotalEnergies, Shell, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Galp, and QatarEnergy, positioning Namibia as a rising player in the international energy market.
