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Member News: Atlas NextWave Empower Women in Namibia’s Offshore Energy Sector

October 15, 2025
Member News: Atlas NextWave Empower Women in Namibia’s Offshore Energy Sector

In September 2025, Atlas NextWave, in partnership with the Namibia Youth Energy Forum (NYEF), made a significant stride in promoting gender inclusivity within Namibia’s burgeoning offshore energy sector. The Greenhands Offshore Induction Day events were successfully hosted across three key locations Lüderitz, Walvis Bay, and Windhoek bringing together 34 women from diverse professional backgrounds for specialized training aimed at preparing them for careers in the offshore oil and gas industry.

Breaking Barriers and Building Skills

The energy sector has traditionally been male-dominated, but the Greenhands Offshore programme is changing that narrative by actively engaging women and equipping them with the skills and certifications required to thrive offshore. The 34 women participants represented a wide array of transferable skills, coming from backgrounds such as hospitality, electrical and mechanical trades, and human resources.

  • Hospitality Professionals: Their strong communication skills, adaptability, and teamwork mindset are invaluable in the dynamic offshore environment, where collaboration and resilience are essential.
  • Electrical and Mechanical Experts: These women bring technical know-how, problem-solving capabilities, and attention to detail crucial qualities for maintenance, safety, and operational efficiency offshore.
  • Human Resources Specialists: With expertise in personnel management, conflict resolution, and organizational skills, HR professionals are well-equipped to support the workforce’s wellbeing and productivity on offshore platforms.

This blend of skills and experiences enhances the offshore workforce’s diversity, driving innovation and creating a more inclusive industry culture.

Supporting Namibia’s Energy Future

The Greenhands Offshore initiative is part of Atlas NextWave’s broader commitment to local workforce development and sustainable growth in Namibia’s energy sector. By offering free, accredited training through the Greenhands Offshore Induction Days, the programme empowers young Namibians, particularly women to access new opportunities in an industry poised for expansion.

The events in Lüderitz, Walvis Bay, and Windhoek mark a vital step towards building a compliant, skilled, and gender-diverse workforce, ensuring that Namibia’s energy industry reflects the country’s rich talent pool.

Looking Ahead

As Namibia continues to develop its offshore oil and gas resources, the inclusion of women with diverse skill sets will be key to fostering innovation and resilience in the sector. Initiatives like Atlas NextWave’s Greenhands Offshore not only provide essential training but also break down barriers, creating a pathway for women to succeed and lead in energy.

Get in touch

AREG is the original energy transition organisation, working on behalf of members to empower the energy supply chain and champion its expertise. Please get in touch if you have any questions or would like to find out more about membership.

AREG has played an important role in the growth of Scotland’s renewable energy sector, engaging the supply chain and developing the European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre. However, we are only at the very beginning of the transition that AREG was established to both lead and support so there are still opportunities for companies to get into the constantly evolving renewables supply chain. We look forward to continuing our work together as renewables builds on its place as Scotland’s main source of power, and as we seek to deliver real change in the crucial areas of heat and transport.

Scottish Renewables

Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce has worked closely with AREG since its formation. The recent progress in the developments of offshore wind projects by Equinor and Vattenfall are as a result of the work of the group over many years. The north-east is known as the oil and gas capital of Europe. At the Chamber, we believe the region must evolve its position to being recognised as the energy capital. Whilst hydrocarbons will continue to be essential in driving our economy for years to come, the generation of renewable resources will play an increasingly important role in providing cost-effective power, innovative development and economic growth.

Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce

The enthusiasm and dedication of the early group that would become AREG was fundamental in us choosing to launch All-Energy in Aberdeen. The first tiny show was held in 2001, and AREG’s Chairman at the time, Jeremy Cresswell, played such an active role that I often describe him in terms such as All-Energy’s ‘midwife’. All-Energy is now the UK’s largest renewable and low carbon energy exhibition and conference in terms of number of attendees, space booked, and number of exhibiting companies. As AREG became firmly established, their presence and support for the event grew spectacularly over the years. We thank them most sincerely for their invaluable input.

All-Energy

Vattenfall has forged a strong working relationship with AREG through the development of the European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre. AREG has worked tirelessly on behalf of the North East and it can take enormous credit for the growth of sustainable energy in the region and the path it has cleared for the region to capture further investment.

Vattenfall

Aberdeen City and Shire is emerging as a key location for renewables by successfully transferring its world-class oil and gas expertise into the sector and AREG has done much to advance this through a broad range of initiatives. It has acted as a catalyst in driving further investment in the local economy by engaging with companies, Government, public bodies and existing projects and we have been pleased to support their efforts. Scottish Enterprise will continue to engage with AREG as we increase Scotland’s use of renewable energy.

Scottish Enterprise