Govt envisions integrated hydrogen ecosystem

Officials from the government’s Namibia Green Hydrogen Programme (NGH2P) are aiming for the country’s hydrogen projects to become interconnected, facilitating the green industrialisation envisioned in government plans.

This was conveyed to journalists by hydrogen commissioner James Mnyupe and his head of technical and construction, Theopolina Kapani, at a press briefing hosted by NGH2P on Wednesday.

Mnyupe and Kapani spoke about their recent trips to China, Japan, Germany and the United Kingdom, stressing the potential for an integrated hydrogen ecosystem in Namibia.

“We want to tell the Namibian public what we saw in China and to familiarise our people with what it means that Envision has chosen Namibia as a potential key African hub for a net-zero industrial park,” Mnyupe said.

China-based renewable energy developer Envision announced its investment in the Zhero hydrogen project near Walvis Bay at the Global African Hydrogen Summit in Windhoek in September.

Envision is aiming to produce green ammonia from hydrogen, but also wants to use Namibian lithium to produce batteries and is looking into manufacturing wind turbines and electrolysers at the industrial park.

As such, Zhero could enable other hydrogen projects around the country and the world, which require these components.

For example, the Zhero project complements the plans for green ammonia production for use as shipping fuel pursued at Walvis Bay by a subsidiary of Belgian shipping company CMB in partnership with Ohlthaver & List, Mnyupe and Kapandi pointed out.

“When you combine the portfolio of all these investments, it will establish Walvis Bay as a port of call for any ships looking to use green ammonia as a shipping fuel,” Kapani said.

“Bunkering green shipping fuels presents a unique opportunity for Namibia to present itself as a green logistics hub in the region,” she said.