RED LIGHTS ON GREEN HYDROGEN: THE CASE OF HYPHEN GREEN HYDROGEN DEVELOPMENT IN THE TSAU ||KHAEB NATIONAL PARK

International audience To reach the net-zero emissions goal by 2050, many nations have identified hydrogen as a key solution. In its green form, produced from renewable energy sources, hydrogen could contribute significantly to decarbonizing society. However, significant challenges remain: less than 1% of hydrogen produced globally is currently green. Estimations from the International Energy Agency suggest global demand could increase from 97 million tons to 400 million tons by 2050. Therefore, meeting decarbonization targets will require large-scale projects of green hydrogen development. This large-scale production of green hydrogen requires vast areas exposed to strong and steady wind and/or high solar radiations to produce hydrogen from renewables. Despite being among the highest consumers of hydrogen, European, Korean, or Japanese territories do not have enough territorial resources. As a result, numerous territories in Africa and Latin America are being identified as strategic locations to support the projected global surge in demand for green hydrogen, particularly for applications in road and maritime transport as well as industrial processes. This presentation examines a case in Namibia, where 20,000 km² of a southwestern national park have been allocated for the development of a global green hydrogen hub. Drawing on reports and semi-structured interviews from a fieldwork in 2025, this study explores the creation of such ex-nihilo energy territories, focusing on stakeholders’ interplays and power dynamics. Through the controversies it generates, the project reveals the environmental impact of the massive infrastructure required to meet global green hydrogen demand. The local analysis will be complemented by a reflection on the integration of this project into national networks, as well as on the dynamics that may be considered neocolonial in nature. In this context, the narratives of energy transition will be critically analyzed through the lens of a just transition.