The Namibian government has been forced to play catch-up, especially in expanding ports handling capacity, after Shell and Total Energies announced major oil and gas discoveries in the Orange Basin, off the country’s Atlantic coast.
The oil finds are estimated to hold approximately seven billion barrels of oil equivalent and if exploited fully, Namibia is poised to become Africa’s fifth largest oil producer by 2030.
Meanwhile, Namibia has also made ambitious plans to become a global export leader in green hydrogen. In June, the Namibian government approved a Feasibility and Implementation Agreement (FIA) with green hydrogen energy supplier Hyphen Hydrogen Energy to develop, build and operate the largest green hydrogen project in Sub-Saharan Africa. It will be located in the Namib Desert and expected to cost $10 billion.
In readiness of this project, Namport has set aside 350 hectares of land at the Port of Walvis Bay for allocation to green hydrogen related industries.
In addition, Namport in 2021 signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Port of Rotterdam. The objective was to develop a supply chain plan to facilitate green hydrogen exports from Namibia to Rotterdam.
The Port of Rotterdam anticipates a demand of twenty million tons of hydrogen per annum to pass through its port’s industrial complex by 2050.
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