(Walvis Bay / Namibia) – The Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) is cooperating with Namibia in researching a hydrogen production plant and a filling station. The aim is to jointly gain scientific knowledge for the upscaling of green hydrogen technologies and to ensure a high level of safety for the hydrogen economy in both countries, according to the authority.
The research is taking place a few kilometers outside Walvis Bay on the country's west coast. The electrolyser planned there with a capacity of five megawatts is scheduled to be completed within the next ten months and will then produce 200 tons of green hydrogen per year. The energy source is used for various local applications, including in Namibia's port, mining and transport sectors, but also in road and rail transport.
Test field for hydrogen production
The pilot plant not only serves to cover local energy needs, but is also “an important test field for hydrogen production and handling as well as for the associated components and infrastructure,” according to a BAM statement: “It is the first Plant of this kind in Namibia, which, together with other projects, places the country at the global forefront in this area.”
The project is also proof of the commitment of Cleanergy Solutions Namibia, a joint venture between the Namibian company Ohlthaver & List Group, which provides the necessary solar power, and the Belgian cleantech company CMB.TECH for sustainable energy solutions. Further support is available from the Namibia Green Hydrogen Institute (NGHRI) at the University of Namibia (UNam).
Scientific exchange
The scientific exchange is ensured by a group of doctoral students from Namibia. They will be conducting research on the topic of material compatibility over the next three years – largely in the “H2Safety@BAM” competence center. They will also train scientific and technical personnel in the country.
Oded Sobol (back) explains a test procedure for hydrogen to Namibian doctoral students (from left: Reinhold Leo, Sam Shaanika and Nikanor Shikomba). © BAM
“Through our joint research program, we will identify innovative materials for welded transport pipelines, piping systems and storage tanks, thereby helping to improve the safety and sustainability of green hydrogen technologies,” says Thomas Böllinghaus, head of the BAM component safety department. The focus is on security, sustainability, capacity building and economic transformation.
The project is funded with one million euros by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). The BMBF is also providing funding of more than ten million euros for the Cleanergy pilot plant in Namibia.
Factsheet on Namibia's energy sector
The Society for Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology eV (DECHEMA) published a detailed fact sheet on Namibia's energy sector almost simultaneously with the BAM announcement. The document provides a basic overview of the country's energy landscape.
It is aimed “both at people who do not have in-depth technical knowledge of the energy sector and at international actors who are interested in investing in Namibia” and, above all, in the green hydrogen economy. The content contains information about the most important players, the existing legal framework and the electricity sector. This includes information about primary energy sources, import dependency and the development of electricity prices in recent years. The “GreeN-H2-Namibia” project, a joint project between DECHEMA and ISOE (Institute for Social-Ecological Research), is also funded by the BMBF.
The report “GreeN-H2-Namibia. Feasibility Study for Green Hydrogen in Namibia” is available free of charge PDF (42 pages).
Photos
Illustration of the Cleanergy pilot plant near Walvis Bay, Namibia. © Cleanergy
