Namibia looks towards its first green mega-project
By on July 11, 2021
Project updates
As we reported earlier this March, Namibian President Hage Geingob announced his government is looking to develop and implement national green hydrogen and green ammonia strategies as part of an economy-wide “prosperity” initiative. In an interview with CNBCAfrica this week, Presidential Advisor on Economy James Mnyupe added some more updates:
- the Namibian government is looking at developing a “world-class”, renewable energy-powered, P2X mega-project via a public-private partnership.
- talks are ongoing with several potential partners. Potential commercial partners include CWP Global, Fortescue and the Port of Rotterdam. The German federal government (via the Ministry of Education and Research and the new H2Global program) and UN (via the Green Climate Fund) are also potential partners. Proposals put before the government so far have been US$6-8 billion in size.
- an announcement on a partnership contract is due before COP26 in November. Once the partner is on-board, feasibility studies should be complete be 2023.
- and, an FID is due by late 2024.
Huge potential for the region
President Geingob’s declaration that he wants Namibia to become the first carbon-neutral African nation is being met with similar enthusiasm and intent to the south. Two recent reports (one from the Environmental Defense Fund and one from IHSMarkit) suggest South Africa will play a world-leading role in the provision of clean fuels generated from renewable energy. The South African government is aiming to produce a national green hydrogen roadmap before COP26 in November.
We’re talking about an investment that could potentially double the size of the Namibian economy.
Godfrey Mutizwa, Editor-in-chief at CNBCAfrica in Unpacking Namibia’s green hydrogen revolution, 8 July 2021