The decision was formalised following the Cabinet’s endorsement of the agreement, which aims to enhance cooperation between the two nations in the crucial areas.
Namibia’s Cabinet has approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United States of America, aimed at accelerating the development of renewable energy and clean hydrogen projects in the country.
“Cabinet approved the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation on Renewable Energy and Clean Hydrogen between Namibia and the United States of America and authorised the Minister of Mines and Energy to sign the MoU,” said Minister of Information and Communication Technology Emma Theofelus.
Namibia is currently home to eight active green hydrogen projects – Hyphen, Elof Hansson, HDF Energy, HyIron, Zhero, Cleanergy Solutions, Daures Hydrogen Village, and Hyrail – positioning it at the forefront of the green hydrogen industry.
The largest of these initiatives is the Hyphen Hydrogen Energy project, which is strategically situated in the Tsau //Khaeb National Park.
The project has already created employment for over 400 individuals and invested approximately N$170 million into small and medium-sized enterprises for essential services.
It has also completed pre-FEED (front-end engineering design) engineering and installed 10 meteorological masts crucial for data collection.
Meanwhile, HyIron is scheduled to receive Namibia’s first green iron kiln in September 2024. The project aims to produce 15,000 tonnes of Direct Reduced Iron each year.
HyIron aims to produce the first batch of local iron ore by the end of November. In the initial phase, a 20MW solar photovoltaic installation will provide carbon-free electricity to the plant and as production scales up, an additional 18MW of wind energy and 140MW of solar energy will be integrated.
Additionally, the Green Hydrogen Programme is collaborating with the Maersk-McKinneyMoller Centre for Zero Carbon Shipping to develop a report detailing Green Maritime Corridors from Namibia.
The report is expected to be published at COP29 and will showcase Namibia’s potential as a global green hub, linking its green products and services to the international market.
Namibia aims to create 26,000 jobs in the green industrial sector by 2030.
