Staff Reporter
THE HyIron Oshivela Green Hydrogen Plant near Arandis in the Erongo Region is expected to reduce Namibia’s carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions by 20,000 tonnes per year—equivalent to nearly half of the emissions from the country’s power sector.
This was revealed by the Governor of the Erongo Region, Neville Andre Itope, at the official opening of the HyIron Oshivela Green Hydrogen Plant. This facility is Southern Africa’s first to use green hydrogen to process iron ore into direct reduced iron ore (DRIO).
“This occasion marks not only the grand opening of HyIron, but a bold leap forward in Namibia’s journey towards sustainable prosperity. The Erongo Region, blessed with abundant renewable resources and currently hosting five green hydrogen projects, has already begun reaping the rewards of green hydrogen innovation – from job creation and skills development, to agricultural investment through the distribution of seedlings to farmers to boost crop production, and from cutting-edge infrastructure to international investment. This industry is reshaping our economic landscape, taking us closer to our industrialisation agenda,” Itope said.
The Governor highlighted the HyIron Oshivela Green Hydrogen Plant as a welcome addition to the region’s green hydrogen projects, revealing that Erongo is already seeing significant benefits from green hydrogen initiatives.
He cited the Daures Green Hydrogen Project in Uis as an example, noting that the project created over 201 jobs during the construction phase, with 80 individuals recruited from the local Daures Constituency. Furthermore, he stated that the project led to the appointment of 23 Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), seven of which were from the Daures Constituency. Of those employed, 77% were young people.
“Equally, the Cleanergy Solutions Plant in Walvis Bay established the first hydrogen production facility of its kind in Africa, directly harnessing solar energy from the park to produce hydrogen, which is then made available at a public refuelling station. Additionally, their workshop is responsible for converting the initial fleet of trucks to dual-fuel technology, utilising locally produced hydrogen,” Itope added.
