Theopolina Kapani: Committed to Namibia's green energy drive
As one of the female leaders in Namibia's green hydrogen programme, Kapani encourages women to pursue careers in this inclusive and fast-growing sector.
Head of technical and construction at Namibia's Green Hydrogen programme, Theopolina Kapani, has played a pivotal role in advancing the country’s clean energy sector.Born in Dordabis near Windhoek, Kapani built her career in the oil and gas industry, working with BP, Shell, Worley, and later in ICT with Huawei.
Her transition to green hydrogen came after her work on a 200-megawatt Shell electrolyser plant in Rotterdam, where she was inspired to explore the emerging field.
Passionate about clean energy
Kapani's PhD research on energy infrastructure further aligned her career with green hydrogen. Passionate about clean energy, she feels fortunate to be part of this sector, which she describes as both gender-inclusive and merit-based.
She noted that five out of the eight executives at the Namibia Green Hydrogen Programme are women, highlighting the industry's openness to female professionals. Kapani encourages women to pursue opportunities in green hydrogen, emphasising that the industry offers equal treatment and recognition based on capacity and expertise.
Kapani is committed to ensuring that Namibia’s green hydrogen and industrialisation blueprint is fully realised. Her vision includes seeing the country become self-sufficient across all sectors – primary, secondary and tertiary. She called on the youth to engage with the green hydrogen sector proactively, urging them to seize opportunities by reaching out and exploring how they can contribute.
In addition to her technical work, Kapani underscored the importance of collaboration to drive the green hydrogen sector forward. She believes the industry's success depends on collective effort, encouraging everyone to get involved and work together toward a greener future for Namibia.
"Don’t wait for people to come to you. Knock on doors and reach out,” she advised.