Namibian and Belgian companies are collaborating to establish Namibia’s inaugural green hydrogen production facility.
Positioned near the port city of Walvis Bay, the plant is nestled amid the sand dunes of the Namib Desert where it meets the Atlantic Ocean.
The project is being undertaken by Cleanergy Solutions Namibia, a joint venture between local company Ohlthaver & List Group and Belgian firm, CMB Tech. The inauguration was witnessed by Namibian President Nangolo Mbumba and King Philippe of Belgium.
Mbumba and Philippe visited the hydrogen refuelling station to witness the filling of two dual-fuel trucks and toured the green hydrogen production area, dual-truck workshop and solar park.
The hydrogen production plant is the first phase of a five-year plan with several projects at different locations, including ammonia bunkering, pipelines and large-scale hydrogen and ammonia production.
Cleanergy Solutions Namibia says its agenda is to drive the growth of Namibia’s hydrogen economy while contributing to the global shift towards clean energy. Ohlthaver & List Group is already involved in several renewable energy projects in Namibia while CMB Tech is involved in producing and applying future fuels in Belgium.
Mbumba said Namibia was on the verge of a possible energy boom in the traditional hydrocarbon sector, given recent discoveries of offshore oil and gas in Namibia.
In November 2021, the energy ministers of Namibia and Belgium agreed to cooperate in green hydrogen and green ammonia initiatives. In June 2022, the Namibian Ports Authority and the Port of Antwerp-Bruges International signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate in green energy solutions, infrastructure development, capacity building and establishment of a green hydrogen supply chain between the two ports.
“We plan to produce these molecules in Walvis Bay to power locally operated trucks, port equipment, locomotives and small ships,” said the CEO of CMB Tech, Alexander Saverys.
In addition, Cleanergy, CMB Tech, Port of Antwerp-Bruges and Namport will launch the first hydrogen-powered ship in Africa. Building on the successful collaboration between CMB Tech and Port of Antwerp-Bruges, as demonstrated by the launch of the Hydrotug and the world’s first multimodal hydrogen refuelling station in the port of Antwerp, the focus is now shifting to the development of a multi-functional port utility vessel powered by dual-fuel hydrogen engines.
Given the potential of ports to serve as central points for hydrogen technology implementation and efforts to decrease carbon emissions, the Port of Walvis Bay and Namport are ideal partners to operate Africa’s pioneering hydrogen vessel, Cleanergy said.
