DAURES – The state-of-the-art Daures Green Hydrogen Village (DGHV), a world-first, is advancing Namibia’s green hydrogen agenda and positioning the country as a future leader in ammonia and green fertiliser production for global energy and agriculture.
In its pilot phase, the project aims to produce 180 tonnes of hydrogen and 100 tonnes of green ammonia annually. Production is scheduled to begin in the first half of 2025, with fertiliser production targeted for late 2026 or 2027.
DGHV chief executive officer Jerome Namaseb told the media during a familiarisation visit to the village last week that feasibility studies, in collaboration with the German Federal Commission, suggest the full project could eventually yield 180 000 tonnes of hydrogen and up to one million tonnes of green ammonia annually, powered by a proposed 5 GigaWatt hybrid renewable energy system.
“We are creating a full-cycle demonstration, from green hydrogen to ammonia, to green fertiliser, and ultimately to agriculture,” he said.
While green hydrogen dominates global conversations, ammonia is proving to be a more stable and transportable form of energy storage.
“Ammonia is often viewed as the most likely store of energy when producing green hydrogen. Over 80% of ammonia produced globally is used for fertiliser production, accounting for more than 50% of synthetic fertilisers,” he said.
The United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) has endorsed and committed funding to enable green fertiliser production at DGHV.
Plans for a 100 MW fertiliser production facility are underway, and tenders for original equipment manufacturers are already in circulation.
Namaseb highlighted that key fertiliser inputs, such as sulfuric acid and liquid ammonia, will be produced locally.
“We are leveraging sulfuric acid from existing Namibian mines, and integrating all processes on-site. Although granular fertiliser production is still in the funding phase, we are pressing ahead with liquid fertiliser as our first step,” he added.
DGHV is also a living laboratory for renewable energy education. Renewable Energy Analyst Aina Kauluma showcased the demo site, featuring three 3,6 kW wind turbines, a 2.75 kW solar array, batteries and a 3 kW electrolyser.
“We produce about one kilogramme of hydrogen a day for lab-based research and training,” she noted.
The energy plant includes 1 334 solar panels, generating 0.75 MW to demonstrate the energy conversion chain from Direct Current to usable Alternating Current.
– Nampa/AFP