Namibia wants to be the African leader in sustainable energy production. Mines and Energy Minister Tom Alweendo told the April Global Africa Hydrogen Summit Conference in Windhoek that Namibia could produce green hydrogen for under $1.5 a kilogram.This is competitive against hydrogen produced from natural gas which ranges between $1.5 and $5 per kilogramme.The International Renewable Energy Agency puts green hydrogen costs at between $4 and $6/kg.“Namibia has made large portions of land available, adapted legislative frameworks, engaged global captains of industry and raised billions of dollars to pioneer low-carbon industrialisation at scale – something that has never been done before in the history of the continent,” said Alweendo.The German government estimates that hydrogen demand will reach 95-130 TWh by 2030. Uses include heating, power generation, the processing of steel and chemicals, and in transport either as a fuel or to produce electricity. Hydrogen can be stored in various forms, including ammonia, for extended periods of time.Namibia’s wind and solar conditions (an average of 300 sunny days a year and consistent winds), together with political and institutional stability, are promoted as making it an ideal location for producing and exporting green hydrogen and its derivatives. New projects will be based on agreements signed by German federal minister for economic affairs Robert Habeck and Alweendo during the 2024 Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue. “Namibia offers ideal conditions to make cheap and climate-friendly green hydrogen using wind and solar energy. “This opens up completely new economic prospects for Namibia and contributes to developing an international hydrogen market. We want to play a part in this and accelerate the expansion of the green hydrogen economy in Namibia,” said Habeck at the signing ceremony.German support for the Namibian green hydrogen sector is planned to include support for Namibian government authorities to define technical standards for green hydrogen as well as to advise on laws and standards and train specialists. It will also support the German government's National Hydrogen Strategy and promote international legal requirements for the safe use of green hydrogen.The Namibian government has commissioned Hyphen Hydrogen Energy, in which Germany company ENERTRAG holds a stake, to issue a tender to produce two million tons of green ammonia a year using solar energy in an estimated $10-billion investment.Namibia will host a green hydrogen summit under the theme ‘From Ambition to Action: Fuelling Africa’s Green Industrial Revolution’ in September.
