WINDHOEK, Aug. 22 — Namibia has signed a new agreement to advance its green industrialization agenda by linking mineral beneficiation with hydrogen-powered steel production, officials said on Thursday.
The memorandum of understanding (MoU) brings together the Namibia Green Hydrogen Program (NGH2P), local miner Broadmind Mining, and Germany’s HyIron Green Technologies to establish a sustainable, low-carbon value chain in critical minerals and green steel.
In a statement, the NGH2P said the initiative will focus on utilizing Namibia‘s iron ore and rare-earth resources, in conjunction with HyIron’s direct reduced iron technology powered by renewable hydrogen.
The goal is to develop integrated mining, beneficiation, and green steel production in support of Namibia‘s hydrogen-driven industrialization strategy, it said.
Under the MoU, Broadmind will conduct advanced exploration and pilot beneficiation trials, and HyIron will test Namibian ore in its process and supply technical parameters for scaling up production, while NGH2P will provide in-country support with permitting, infrastructure planning, and access to concessional finance to accelerate implementation.
“This partnership demonstrates how multi-sector cooperation can support our vision of creating green jobs, boosting economic diversification, and producing materials for the global clean energy transition,” James Mnyupe, head of the NGH2P, said.
Namibia was selected in June to join the Climate Investment Funds’ Industry Decarbonization Program, through which it aims to mobilize up to 250 million U.S. dollars in climate finance. The new collaboration is expected to form part of this investment pipeline.
