Staff Reporter
PRESIDENT Hage Geingob successfully concluded a tour of the Erongo Green Hydrogen Valley to assess progress in the development of the green industrialization agenda as outlined in the goals of the Harambee Prosperity Plan II.
Ahead of the Global Gateway Forum in Brussels later this month, President. Geingob visited key projects, including Cleanergy, Hydrogen De France, NamPort and Orano Desalination, in order to gain valuable insights on the operational activities of these projects and their contribution to the socio-economic development of Namibia.
Presidential spokesperson, Dr. Alfredo Hengari said that Namibia’s recognition of the global imperative for a just energy transition drives the ambition to decarbonise industries, combat climate change, and embrace cleaner fuels in hard-to-abate sectors.
“The strategic deployment of Namibia’s abundant natural resources, particularly renewable energy sourced from wind and solar energy, is facilitating the production of green hydrogen, a crucial ingredient for clean fuels. Furthermore, green hydrogen can augment the value of specific commodities, such as iron ore, essential for direct reduced iron used in steel production, and minerals like rare earths and lithium, vital for the production of permanent magnets and lithium-ion batteries, central to the just energy transition.,” Dr. Hengari said.
Highlights of the Presidential tour encompassed the Cleanergy Hydrogen service station, Africa’s pioneering public station dispensing green hydrogen for local mobility solutions, and Namport, showcasing its readiness to host large-scale green ammonia bunkering and industrial cargo handling facilities. The tour further underscored the critical role of renewable energy, combined with battery storage and clean hydrogen, in providing consistent ‘base load’ energy to communities.
Dr. Hengari added that Namibia’s substantial desalinated water capacity, exemplified by the region’s largest desalination plant (Orano), stands as a pivotal asset in green hydrogen production, supporting sustainable growth across multiple sectors.
He added that the government remains committed to further infrastructure investments, particularly in water facilities, to meet the burgeoning needs of the Erongo Region, the mining industry, and the burgeoning green hydrogen sector.
Following the visit, President Geingob said: “I am pleased to learn that Namibians are moving on to new and greater things. When we took over, we had to navigate severe droughts, an economic downturn and then the COVID-19 pandemic hit us. I am happy to leave the country in better shape than we found it.”
The Erongo region possesses all the necessary prerequisites to realise the vision for green industrialization. Besides its natural endowments, strategic government investments have ensured the region boasts world-class infrastructure, facilitating cost-effective product evacuation to regional and international destinations. His Excellency’s tour of the Erongo Valley delved into these concepts in detail, illustrating how the pursuit of a Green Industrialization Agenda is an essential accelerator towards achieving Vision 2030 and beyond.
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