Geingob confident in green hydrogen preparedness

President Hage Geingob indicated confidence in Namibia’s preparedness for green hydrogen developments.

He said this during a tour of key infrastructure in the Erongo region on Wednesday.

Accompanied by senior government officials, Geingob undertook a familiarisation visit to what is envisioned as Erongo’s green hydrogen valley along the coast.

The tour included stops at green hydrogen project and support sites, such as the recently launched Cleanergy green hydrogen facility, the Walvis Bay port, oil storage facilities and Orano Mining’s Erongo Desalination Plant (EDP).

During the visit, Geingob engaged with various stakeholders involved in the green industrialisation agenda.

Geingob said he last visited the EDP in 2013 when it was officially commissioned by former president Hifikepunye Pohamba.

Contradicting reports that suggested the plant’s infrastructure was outdated, Geingob described the facility as more than capable of meeting current demands.

“And I saw it for myself,” he said.

“Green hydrogen is also a massive development and we wanted to see if the desalination plant will be able to supply water to these projects. I am very happy with what I am learning,” Geingob said.

Orano managing director Tommie Gouws also expressed confidence in the plant’s capabilities.

“With the growth in the hydrogen economy, the demand for freshwater will also grow.

Thanks to our plant, which is the largest reverse osmosis seawater desalination complex in southern Africa, we are confident in our ability to meet the needs of the emerging green hydrogen industry in the region,” said Gouws.

This visit comes in the wake of the cornerstone laying ceremony for the Cleanergy green hydrogen plant near Dune 7 at Walvis Bay last week.

The N$3,5 billion project is the first in a series of broader green hydrogen initiatives aimed at meeting Namibia’s growing energy demands.

Geingob indicated that he plans to leverage the insights gained from the tour during upcoming discussions with European counterparts, where he will continue to promote Namibia’s advances in green hydrogen technology.