Green hydrogen to help Namibia achieve SDGs

Pipeline of environmentally-friendly projects
Namibia intends to use green hydrogen as a vehicle to go about achieving the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals.
Ogone Tlhage
Namibia’s foray into the green hydrogen sector will help accelerate the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), President Nangolo Mbumba has stated.

He made the remarks at the Hamburg Sustainable Conference currently underway in Germany, and said Namibia was developing a pipeline of environmentally-friendly projects aimed at driving sustainable development.

“Namibia is developing a portfolio of green hydrogen projects which will help accelerate the achievement of SDGs in Namibia. One example of such a project is the Hyphen Hydrogen Energy project, which the Namibian fovernment has committed to investing in,” Mbumba said.

According to him, the project aims to produce two million tonnes of green ammonia, which should abate three millions tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.

“The project will produce excess electricity, which will be channelled into our own grid, allowing Namibia to improve electricity access to our people,” he said.



Win-win partnership

Commenting on Hyphen’s activities, Mbumba said the opening of an office in Hamburg was part of efforts to export green ammonia development in Namibia to Germany.

“The Hyphen project developers have opened up an office right here in Hamburg as they investigate the viability for some of the ammonia to be exported here to assist with your decarbonisation efforts, adding value to your strategic infrastructure investments."

“This is a quintessential example of a win-win partnership that is reflective of how we can work together to bring about the manifestation of key elements from the Pact For The Future,” he added.

Government would also turn its attention to developing the port of Walvis Bay into a global shipping hub, Mbumba said.

“In addition to the work being done in Lüderitz, Namibia is looking to develop the port of Walvis Bay into a global shipping hub, much like what you have achieved here in Hamburg,” he said.

Another partnership between Namibian private sector players and a Belgian shipping company is looking to start constructing the first ammonia bunkering hub in the first quarter of 2025, according to the president.

“In addition to these initiatives, our green hydrogen programme is working closely with the Maersk-McKinney Moller Centre for Zero Carbon Shipping to develop green maritime corridors, providing clear and tangible pathways to transport clean molecules from the ports of Lüderitz and Walvis Bay to Germany and the rest of the world,” Mbumba said.

“In a nutshell, for green hydrogen and its derivatives to become a meaningful element of decarbonising hard-to-abate sectors, global partnerships are the key ingredients that are required."