(Berlin) - Rainer Baake becomes the new special representative for German-Namibia climate and energy cooperation. The former State Secretary has now received this post from Federal Economics and Climate Minister Robert Habeck. His job is to build a hydrogen economy with the Namibian government. The basis of the project is a cooperation agreement 
between Minister Habeck and the Namibian Energy Minister Tom Alweendo on March 29, 2022.
According to Habeck, there is “hardly a better place in the world to produce green hydrogen using wind and solar energy.” Wind turbines on land would generate even higher amounts of electricity there than offshore systems in the North Sea. The generation of electricity from solar systems is almost three times as high as in Germany.
On his first official trip as special representative, Baake took part in a meeting of the Namibian cabinet. His discussions were primarily about the implementation of a project planned by Namibia to produce green ammonia in the south of the country.
Germany is the largest consumer of ammonia in Europe. The energy source in Germany is currently produced exclusively with the help of natural gas. In recent years, production has caused eleven percent of industrial natural gas use and almost six million tons of CO2 emissions annually, according to the Federal Ministry of Economics.
Desalinate seawater
The production of hydrogen via electrolysis requires large quantities of water, which is particularly scarce in Namibia. Back in August 2021, the then Federal Minister of Education and Research, Anja Karliczek, signed a hydrogen partnership agreement between Germany and Namibia. The agreement stipulated that an initial feasibility study would be conducted to explore the "potential of a green hydrogen economy, including innovative seawater desalination , in Namibia, as well as its export to Germany," as stated at the time. The focus is on a seawater desalination plant powered by renewable energy near the town of Lüderitz. The plant is also intended to provide the local population with sufficient clean drinking water.
Since hydrogen can only be transported cost-effectively using pipelines and not ships, Namibia plans to further process hydrogen into ammonia with the addition of atmospheric nitrogen. A new port facility is planned for shipping.
Hyphen Hydrogen is planning a green hydrogen plant
Hyphen Hydrogen Energy (Pty) Ltd. won a tender last November to develop the first phase of the project. The Tsau/Khaeb National Park was chosen as the site for the country's first large-scale green hydrogen project. The plan is to produce 300.000 tons of hydrogen per year for regional and global markets, either as pure hydrogen or in the form of green ammonia. The investment is estimated at $9,4 billion (€8,1 billion).
According to plans, the first phase with an annual production of 2026 tons of hydrogen is scheduled to go into operation in 125.000. By then, renewable energy power plants with an output of two gigawatts will be installed. The costs for this amount to 4,4 billion dollars.
In further expansion phases in the late 2020s, the renewable energy generation facilities would be expanded to five gigawatts and the capacity of the electrolyzers would be increased to three gigawatts. During the construction phase, 15.000 new jobs would be created and operations would require 3.000 workers. The new jobs should primarily be filled by Namibians. In June, Hyphen announced a master plan, among other things, for the development of port facilities, in which the Namibian Port Authority (Namport) and the Port of Rotterdam are involved as strategic partners.
Hyphen Hydrogen Energy (Pty) Ltd is a joint venture between Nicholas Holdings Limited and Enertrag South Africa (Pty) Ltd and was established specifically for the development of green hydrogen projects in Namibia.
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Hyphen plans hydrogen production in Namibia. © Hyphen Hydrogen Energy (Pty) Ltd
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Rainer Baake, new special representative for German-Namibia climate and energy cooperation. In 1991 he was appointed by Joshka Fischer as State Secretary in the Hessian Ministry of the Environment. From 1998 to 2005 he was State Secretary in the Federal Environment Ministry. In 2006 he joined Deutsche Umwelthilfe as Federal Managing Director, and from 2012 he set up the Berlin think tank Agora Energiewende as founding director. From January 2014 to March 2018 he again held the position of State Secretary and worked in the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. Most recently, he led the Climate Neutrality Foundation in Berlin, which was founded in 2020 and whose aim, among other things, is to improve the efficiency of the use of energy and promote the production of hydrogen from renewable sources. © BMWK / Susanne Eriksson
