NAMIBIA embarked on a groundbreaking venture on Monday, commencing the construction of Africa’s inaugural decarbonised iron plant, a pioneering project exclusively powered by green hydrogen, the country’s investment promotion body announced.
Recognising the environmental impact of traditional steelmaking processes, which are among the most polluting worldwide, the industry is actively pursuing a shift away from coal-fired plants towards decarbonised iron production.
The Oshivela project in western Namibia, supported by a 13-million-euro injection from the German federal government, aims to generate 15,000 tonnes of iron annually without emitting any carbon, as detailed by the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB).
Namibia achieved a significant milestone last year by becoming the first African nation to enter an agreement with the European Union for the supply of green hydrogen and minerals essential for clean energy technology.
Scheduled to commence production in the final quarter of 2024, the plant has plans for substantial expansion, aiming to eventually reach an annual production capacity of 1 million metric tons of green iron.
Rainer Baake, the Special Envoy for German-Namibian Climate and Energy Cooperation, highlighted that the iron produced at the plant could serve as a preliminary product for manufacturing green steel in Germany, crucial for the production of wind turbines or vehicles.
The project’s developers, a consortium comprising German and Namibian companies, outlined that the plant would leverage HyIron technology, using green hydrogen to process iron ore in a rotary kiln, ensuring a low-emission production process.