Against the backdrop of accelerating the global transition to clean energy, Africa is gradually becoming an important region for green energy development with its abundant renewable energy potential. Recently, the African Development Bank announced the approval of a loan of up to 10 million US dollars, specifically to support the preliminary work of a large-scale green hydrogen and ammonia project in Namibia, and to promote the final investment decision of the project by 2026.

Key capital injection to drive project pre design

This funding is provided by the African Sustainable Energy Fund under the African Development Bank and will primarily be used to support front-end engineering design research for comprehensive green hydrogen projects. This study covers the planning and design of up to 7.5 gigawatts of renewable energy installed capacity, 3 gigawatts of electrolytic hydrogen production facilities, and related seawater desalination systems. The project is led by Hyphen Hydrogen Energy Company, and its CEO Marco Raffinetti revealed that the front-end engineering design and engineering general contracting contract have been awarded to China Chemical Engineering Seventh Construction Co., Ltd. Raffinetti emphasized that the approval of this pre investment loan by the African Development Bank is not only a significant support for the Hyphen project, but also reflects full trust in Namibia's goal of developing green hydrogen energy. ”

Capacity and community benefits, planning for long-term expansion

The project is located in Tsau Khaeb National Park in Namibia, covering an area of approximately 4000 square kilometers. It is planned to achieve an annual production target of 1 million tons of green ammonia by the end of 2028. At Agra Point, about 80 kilometers away from the electrolysis facility, a seawater desalination plant, an ammonia synthesis plant, and a dedicated export terminal will be constructed simultaneously. Hyphen Company stated that after the project is put into operation, it will provide surplus electricity and fresh water supply to the local community, and plans to further double the green hydrogen production capacity from 2030.

Moono Mupotola, Country Manager of the African Development Bank in Namibia, pointed out that the project will help highlight Africa's key role in the global energy transition process and is expected to drive local employment and economic development. The head of the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Department of the African Development Bank also stated that supporting such pre investment activities is an important step in leveraging multi billion dollar project financing. At present, the project has been included in the Namibian government led "Southern Corridor Development Initiative", which aims to promote the long-term strategic goal of producing 3 million tons of green hydrogen annually. Keywords: the Belt and Road, the Belt and Road News

With the key funding in place, Namibia's green hydrogen energy project has not only taken a substantial step, but also set a new benchmark for sustainable development on the African continent through clean energy. In the future, this project is expected to become an important example for Africa to participate in global energy governance and promote green economic growth, further strengthening Africa's global position in addressing climate change and energy transition. Editor/Xu Shengpeng