Belgian company CMB.TECH is building Africa’s first public filling station in Namibia with on-site green hydrogen production. The site in Walvis Bay uses solar energy to make the hydrogen. Its strategic location should provide direct access to major shipping routes. “Our facility will supply hydrogen to trucks, ships, and railway applications,” the company says.

The Cleanergy Solutions Namibia project includes a 10-hectare solar park with a hydrogen production facility equipped with a 5-megawatt Proton Exchange Membrane electrolyzed and a 5-megawatt hour battery.

The facility uses solar energy to produce hydrogen, which is then made available to the hydrogen refueling station for trucks and heavy applications, such as rail traffic in the proposed Trans-Kalahari highway/railway line.

Also in Antwerp, CMB.TECH (CMB stands for Compagnie Maritime Belge) already has a similar station.

Hydrogen academy

CMB.TECH has collaborated on the project for several years with Ohlthave & List (O&L), CEO Hendrik Van Der Westhuizen’s group operating mainly in Southern Africa. The CEO of CMB.TECH is Alexander Saverys, the man who, in recent months, sought to change the course of the tanker shipping company Euronav toward a more sustainable model.

“This is a significant investment for the CMB Group,” says Saverys. “It is the first major hydrogen production project in Africa and will prove that green hydrogen can be produced efficiently and cheaply with renewable, African sunshine.”

As part of the project, CMB.TECH also plans to establish a veritable hydrogen academy. This should allow local people to be trained in hydrogen technology and its applications. “This will give Namibians expertise and create local jobs.”

The hydrogen refueling station is expected to be operational by mid-2024. In addition to the construction of the station, the development of a green ammonia plant is also being explored. It is believed that green ammonia can become a significant clean fuel source for generating electricity and powering ships.

Namibia, Africa’s renewable energy hub?

Namibia, one of the world’s sunniest and most sparsely populated countries, is considered a promising emerging market for green hydrogen and is keen to position itself as a renewable energy hub in Africa.

In May, for example, Germany’s Hyphen Hydrogen Energy signed a deal with the government of Namibia for a 10-billion-dollar green hydrogen project in Namib Desert’s Tsau, Khaeb National Park, for export to Europe.

The new Namibian green hydrogen strategy targets producing 10 to 12 million tons of hydrogen equivalent annually by 2050. According to the European Investment Bank (EIB), Africa can earn a trillion euros annually from the production of green hydrogen from 2035.