Hyphen Hydrogen Energy and the government of Namibia are close to finalizing negotiations on an initial hydrogen development project, with an estimated investment of €9.7 billion.
The project aims to generate around 300,000 tons of green hydrogen annually, which will be supplied to both regional and global markets.
Hyphen Hydrogen Energy is a green hydrogen project developer based in Europe that aims to deliver sustainable and cost-effective solutions for decarbonizing the energy sector. The company has expertise in the design, construction, and operation of large-scale green hydrogen production facilities using renewable energy sources.
The project is expected to employ around 3,000 workers and generate 15,000 construction jobs in the next four years, with 90% of these positions filled locally. By 2030, the company aims to produce 300,000 tons of hydrogen per year and generate 1.5-2 terawatt hours of surplus electricity annually when fully optimized, meeting project requirements.
This surplus electricity production alone has the potential to replace 100% of Namibia’s import demand from the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) and significantly enhance the country’s energy access. The project will achieve this through a combination of 5 GW of renewable generation capacity and a 3 GW electrolyser.
The announcement of the project’s expected close to negotiations follows H.E. President Hage Geingob’s visit to Lüderitz last week, as part of a series of consultative meetings with local and industry stakeholders on Green Hydrogen projects.
The project’s significance to Namibia and Africa as a whole is its potential to provide a clean energy source, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and foster economic growth. Namibia’s power supply is currently generated mostly from fossil fuels, and the country imports up to 60% of its electricity from neighboring countries. Hyphen’s project has the potential to help the country become a net exporter of energy.
However, there are potential challenges associated with the project, such as the availability of the necessary resources, expertise, and infrastructure. There is also the question of the project’s long-term sustainability, given the potential for future technological advancements and changes in the energy sector.
Despite these challenges, Hyphen Hydrogen Energy and Namibia’s partnership on this project represents a significant step towards the widespread adoption of green hydrogen as a clean and renewable energy source. This partnership has the potential to serve as a blueprint for similar projects in Africa and other regions of the world.
