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More Green Hydrogens Hubs On the Horizon…30 million euros up to drive pilot projects

 

By: Justicia Shipena

Green hydrogen commissioner and presidential advisor for economic affairs James Mnyupe says Namibia has the potential to possess three green hydrogen hubs.

Mnyupe said this during the first day of the green hydrogen conference at Windhoek country club. The conference, which is taking place under the theme towards a green hydrogen hub in Africa, is set to conclude on Wednesday.

“We are of the opinion that Namibia has the potential to have two to three green hydrogen valleys in the country,” said Mnyupe.

The conference is a platform for Namibian stakeholders to deliberate and unpacks the green hydrogen industry while promoting Namibia as a competitive investment destination.

Mnyupe, at the conference, then announced pilot projects the government had been thinking about for a year.

In May this year, the German government 40 million euros to help Namibia develop its future energy source.

Of these funds, Mnyupe said 30 million euros of that will be earmarked to build pilot projects in Namibia.

“This is to actually start building infrastructure still in the ground here in our country sooner the mega project that will come in Lüderitz. We will be allocating 30 million euros to these projects; that is half a billion Namibian dollars,” he said.

He says a few of those projects are in the Erongo region.

“All four successful projects are in the erongo region, which is amazing for us because that begins to kick start the second hub of the green hydrogen strategy we have for Namibia.”

One of those pilot projects is the the Gh2 project applications, known as the green hydrogen applications in the port environment, which will be located in Walvis Bay.

According to documents, this will be a 5MW electrolyser and H2 mobile refuelled, costing 5.66 million euros.

“To convert an existing tugboat to operate on hydrogen dual fuel technology. To develop Green hydrogen bunkering and refuelling infrastructure at the port.”

He said the project would also develop safety and operation procedures for using hydrogen at ports.

“To elevate the Germany- Namibia partnership covering the whole value chain for green hydrogen and to promote the technological solutions proposed,” he adds.

Another project also located in Walvis Bay is the cleanergy refuelling station.

The 5MW project will cost 25 million euros and will test technology to develop offtake applications within the transport, mining and port activities and facilitate technology transfer and skills development.

Mnyupe also revealed that they would work on a hydrogen diesel dual fuel locomotive from Walvis bay to the Kranzberg corridor in Namibia through TransNamib.

“This project will cost 7.63 million euros, and the project size is 50 locomotive fleet conversion to green hydrogen dual fuel.”

Of these, he said one locomotive converted will be for the use of hydrogen fuel through repowering of the locomotive with a new rail engine that is hydrogen ready.

Meanwhile, two locomotives’ hydrogen valves bank close to each engine with control valve actuators, gauges, sensors relief valves and cut-off values will also be developed.

“One hydrogen fuel tender car, a modified flat bed container wagon for transporting the 40ft half height hydrogen fuel skids. Two 40ft height tube skids with eight type one cylinder searchable to store hydrogen as a compressed gas at > 200 bar,” he explains.

Lastly, he touches on the Daure agriculture project in the Erongo region, Daures constituency.

The 1.5 GW project costing 15.1 million euros will realise the production of green hydrogen and ammonia and the utilisation of its derivatives.

“Sustainable production of green hydrogen-based renewable energies, establish green schemes program for ammonia nitrate crops, storage and transport of green hydrogen, ammonia and related derivatives, integrated application technologies for utilisation of green hydrogen in agriculture, ammonia nitrate and cleaning detergents. Fuel cell operated centre pivots, boreholes and houses.”

Last year, Namibia took the step to place itself at the forefront of Africa’s aspirations for green hydrogen production by awarding Hyphen Hydrogen Energy to develop the country’s first green hydrogen project.

Hyphen is expected to develop a major, integrated high-capacity hydrogen project at Tsau //Khaeb National Park valued at US$ 9.4 billion.

The project is expected to eventually produce 300 000 tons of raw hydrogen annually for the domestic, regional, and international markets.

Reports also show that the project is estimated to create 15 000 direct jobs in the four years of integrated construction and 3 000 direct jobs over 40 years.

Justicia Shipena

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