Namibia has inaugurated Africa’s first fully integrated green hydrogen facility.
The facility combines solar power generation, hydrogen production and energy storage in a single ecosystem to demonstrate industrial scale clean energy and support the continent’s energy transmission.
The brainchild of Belgium-registered diversified shipping group CMB.TECH, the plant in Namibia’s Walvis Bay brings together a 5MWp solar park, a Proton Exchange Membrane electrolyses and a battery energy storage system to produce renewable hydrogen off grid.
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The hydrogen will initially power dual fuel trucks, generators and Namibia’s first hydrogen powered freight locomotive, with plans to expand into maritime refueling infrastructure.
Siemens Sub Saharan Africa provided the integrated electrical, automation and safety systems enabling seamless operation.
The project also hosts a hydrogen academy, training Namibian engineers and technicians to build local expertise.
CMB.TECH chief technology officer Roy Campe described the facility as a “living lab” for Africa’s hydrogen economy, offering a model for collaborative energy transformation and industrial decarbonisation.
Expansion plans aim to scale capacity from 5MW to 250MW and eventually 500MW, positioning Namibia as a potential global exporter of green hydrogen and ammonia.
“We want to turn Namibia into a global energy hub and export energy to Europe and the rest of the world. Today we have 7,000 solar panels. In the future, there could be million,”Campe said.
