With the help of the Oshivela project (also known as HyIron), the first industrial CO₂-free production facility on the African continent was built. It will now be put into operation with an opening ceremony. The German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (BMWK) has provided approximately 13 million euros in funding for the project through its funding guidelines for international hydrogen projects.
The technology used in Oshivela can directly produce reduced iron – that is, convert iron ore into iron, but without the CO₂-intensive process in a blast furnace.
Thanks to the use of green hydrogen, CO₂ emissions can be reduced. Favorable local conditions for the cost-effective production of green hydrogen using a PV system and a 12-megawatt electrolyzer make this possible in Namibia.
The plant will produce approximately 15,000 tons of green iron annually. This has the potential to save more than 20,000 tons of CO₂ per year compared to the conventional blast furnace process. A second and third phase of the plant’s expansion are already being planned.
Green iron is an important precursor for the decarbonization of steel production. Oshivela can thus also support German companies’ path toward a climate-friendly steel industry.
At the same time, a locally emerging hydrogen economy contributes to the development of green value chains in Namibia and thus also to the sustainable industrialization and diversification of the Namibian economy. The project has already created around 100 direct and indirect jobs, and several thousand additional jobs are planned with the further expansion phases.
In addition to President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah and numerous other high-ranking guests, a German delegation, including the BMWK, attended the plant’s official opening, including the German Ambassador to Namibia.
With the funding guideline for international hydrogen projects, the BMWK supports German companies in implementing projects for green hydrogen and its derivatives outside of Europe. This measure is part of the Federal Government’s updated National Hydrogen Strategy and supports the hydrogen import strategy.
Photo from LinkedIn of BMWK
Press release in German translated by Google https://tinyurl.com/2vznsx3t
