The Ministries of Mines and Energy and Industrialisation and Trade will this year conduct feasibility studies to explore the possibility of using low-cost renewable energy from the envisaged hydrogen industry.
President Hage Geingob during his State of the Nation Address on Thursday said this is aimed at creating a green manufacturing hub anchored by gigawatt installations, adding that Government will investigate the possibility of using the industrial parks in Walvis Bay to accommodate these green industrial projects.
“Namibia has long aspired to industrialise and achieve the goals of Vision 2030. Given our world-class renewable energy endowment and global carbon neutrality goals, Namibia is presented with an unparalleled opportunity to achieve our industrial ambitions. Given Namibia’s abundant critical mineral deposits needed for the energy transition, such as lithium and rare earth, the Government will explore the possibility of using this low-cost green energy to add value to our raw materials,” Geingob alluded.
Using the country’s abundant renewable energy to establish local industry will require the right mix of incentives and an attractive investment ecosystem, Geingob noted.
He, therefore, called on the Green Hydrogen Council to deliver on its promise of finalising the implementation agreement for the planned Hyphen Hydrogen Energy project without delay.
The Head of State also explained that grant funding of over N.dollars 1.5 billion had been attracted due to the billion-dollar green hydrogen valley concept during the period under review.
According to Geingob, the grants are yielding positive impacts and will among other fund scholarships for 93 Namibians to pursue their master’s degree and TVET studies in areas related to the synthetic fuels industry.
Of the four pilot projects earmarked to receive more than N.dollars 500 million of this grant funding to develop their concepts, more than N. dollars 120 million has been allocated to the Daures Green Hydrogen Project.
Construction on this project and two more in the Erongo Region is expected to commence this year, according to Geingob.
Source: The Namibian Press Agency
