Green Hydrogen: The “King and I”

AUTHOR: David Jarrett and Team Editor@ RDJ Publishing and RDJ Group ChiefExecutiveOfficer

BelgianHydrogenStrategy Courtesy:PwCBelgium

Recognizing that technological revolutions and changes take time, Namibia continues to make waves as it moves towards being a centre of the alternative energy revolution in line with the ambitions of the late President, H. E. Hage Geingob, both in terms of solar, wind and biomass (encroacher bush), but also with green hydrogen production and utilisation The presence of King Philippe of Belgium in Namibia on a four-day state visitwith Namibian President, H E Nangola Mbumba, provided clear evidence of progress towards being a major player.

The context behind both Namibia’s ambitions and the desire of Belgium is important to an understanding of how green hydrogen can be part of Namibia’s export and energy future Taking an export viewpoint, Belgium as part of Europe’s Hydrogen Strategy, outlines measures for boosting demand for hydrogen and the scaling up of production dating back to 2020.

The Belgian Hydrogen Strategy seeks for Belgium to be the import hub for the European Union based on sustainable fuels using an “open access” network by 2030 In furtherance of this, Belgium is expected to provide 395 million euros to complement mobilized private sector investments This action will be complemented by Market Development, Technology Leadership and Cooperation Facilitation

The action surrounding Cooperation Facilitation is where the synergy for both countries fulfil their needs.

One of the “barriers” that impacts green hydrogen projects is that as utilizing technologies are still to be the norm, the average consumer cannot relate to these new-fangled fuels This point is also mooted by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) in its latest report Green hydrogen for sustainable industrial development: A policy toolkit for developing countries that notes that: green hydrogen’s potential as a catalyst for sustainable development within developing countries that can contribute to economic growth, environmental sustainability and social progress

The crowding in effect should not be discounted and it thus adds credence to the approach by both countries as they align national objectives. An example of the alignment is developed through several joint actions such as:

Cleanergy Solutions Namibia, is a joint venture between the Ohlthaver & List (O&L) Group (A Namibian company registered in Windhoek, Namibia) and CMB.TECH (A Belgian company registered in Antwerpen, Belgium) that is creating several green hydrogen related projects that centre around hydrogen refuelling The refuelling then intersects with dual-fuel trucking, rail locomotives and port equipment

Compagnie Maritime Belge (CMB) through Cleanergy, has plans to increase investment in Namibia by some USD 3 5 billion (approximately NAD 65 billion) by 2030 or earlier as the market develops. This driven by CMB looking to power its shipping through hydrogen and ammonia. Once materialised, ships could refuel in Walvis Bay, increasing the importance of the port to global shipping activities

Several other green hydrogen projects in Namibia thus are set to benefit from the increased interest and creation opportunity to become centres of excellence going forward.

As the Namibian green hydrogen industry develops, public sentiment will positively grow through proof of concepts Yes it is true, with focusses on the techno-economic aspects of green hydrogen there needs to be a better approach for citizenry to better understand the benefits for humanity as a whole.

The conversation continues infocus@rdjpublishing.africa

Reading: https://www namibian com na/king-philippe-president-mbumba-tointensify-green-hydrogen-talks/ https://energy.ec.europa.eu/topics/energy-systemsintegration/hydrogen/key-actions-eu-hydrogen-strategy en https://www swecobelgium be/ https://www.oxfordenergy.org/wpcms/wpcontent/uploads/2024/04/ET32-Green-Hydrogen-Imports-intoEurope-An-Assessment-of-Potential-Sources pdf https://cmb.tech/news/cleanergy-solutions-namibia-kicks-offconstruction-works-for-africas-first-public-refuelling-station-withonsite-green-hydrogen-production https://www2.deloitte.com/xe/en/pages/energy-andresources/articles/future-of-energy-pov-on-hydrogen html