- Namibia’s president President Nangolo Mumba has announced that Namibia and South Africa are set to collaborate on a groundbreaking initiative to develop Africa’s first-ever green hydrogen pipeline.
- Namibia currently hosts nine hydrogen projects across two developing hydrogen valleys, with the potential for a third anchored by its iron ore sector while South Africa has it own extensive national green hydrogen programme.
- Namibia has plans to become a logistics hub for the Southern African region through the development of an ammonia bunkering hub and a green hydrogen-powered train.
He made the announcement at the World Hydrogen Forum in the Netherlands earlier this week. Namibia also hosted its inaugural exhibition at the World Hydrogen Summit, alongside a dedicated space reserved by their own Daures Green Hydrogen Village. Namibia is using the event to provide key status updates of all said projects and emerging common use infrastructure in our hydrogen valleys. Amongst some of the envisioned projects is the development of a 2,500-km cross-border pipeline from Luderitz to Saldanha.
The Naminia/South African partnership includes the Western Cape Development Agency (Wesgro) and the Northern Cape Economic Development, Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (NCEDA) from South Africa, along with Gasunie, a leading Dutch hydrogen infrastructure developer.
“This partnership aims to study the feasibility of building Africa’s first cross-country green hydrogen pipeline, connecting Namibia and South Africa and facilitating significant trade of a new product between our two countries,” said Mumba.
South Africa last year unveiled a US$20 billion investment pipeline under a Green Hydrogen National Programme, which has been designated as a Strategic Integrated Project for accelerated development under the country’s Infrastructure Development Act. The programme is spear headed by Boegoebaai green hydrogen export project.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
