Staff Reporter
LUDERITZ, Nov. 1 — Construction of the first phase of the Luderitz port expansion in Namibia is slated to kick off in the fourth quarter of 2024, as revealed by Andrew Kanime, CEO of Namport, the nation’s port authority.
This comprehensive port expansion initiative, devised in collaboration with the Port of Rotterdam and Hyphen, a green hydrogen developer, will unfold in three key phases.
**Phase 1:** The initial phase involves the expansion of the existing port to facilitate the importation of construction materials for Hyphen’s green hydrogen project.
**Phase 2:** The second stage encompasses the creation of a new port adjacent to the existing facility, along with the establishment of a green ammonia export facility.
**Phase 3:** The final phase focuses on boosting the port’s capacity to accommodate output from emerging green hydrogen projects.
Kanime emphasized that although the Port of Walvis Bay, Namibia’s largest commercial port, possesses the potential to handle approximately 8 million tonnes of hydrogen or ammonia, vital storage and processing facilities, as well as ammonia conversion plants, are yet to be developed.
Recent EU Commitment to Namibia’s Green Hydrogen and Critical Minerals
In recent developments, the European Union (EU) has committed 1 billion euros to bolster the advancement of Namibia’s green hydrogen and critical mineral value chain under its Global Gateway initiative. This commitment includes support for an upcoming study aimed at transforming the Port of Walvis Bay into a robust industrial and logistics hub.
Both Ports to Thrive Under Public-Private Partnership Model
Kanime outlined that both Luderitz and Walvis Bay ports will evolve under a public-private partnership (PPP) model, with Namport maintaining ownership of the common user infrastructures.
TransNamib’s Bid for Transnational Railway Projects
Meanwhile, Namibia’s state-owned TransNamib, represented by Acting CEO Webster Gonzo, is actively seeking investors for two strategic transnational railway projects.
Gonzo disclosed that TransNamib has initiated the solicitation of expressions of interest (EOIs) to advance the Maputo-Walvis Bay Corridor, a critical link connecting Namibia to Botswana through the town of Gobabis, where TransNamib’s rail line currently terminates.
Additionally, he highlighted the Trans-Zambezi rail line as another project in need of investors. The feasibility study for this project has already been completed, envisioning an extension of the existing rail line from Grootfontein in the middle of northern Namibia by 700 km to the Zambezi Valley in Zambia. The proposed line could be further extended to Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, effectively connecting with mining areas along the way.
Gonzo also disclosed that TransNamib is pioneering a groundbreaking pilot project to retrofit two locomotives with dual-fuel engines, capable of running on both diesel and green hydrogen. He anticipates that the technology will be validated within the next 18 to 24 months. Subsequently, TransNamib intends to retrofit a significant portion of its fleet with these dual-fuel engines.
Collectively, the development of the Luderitz port expansion and the Transnamib rail projects represents significant milestones for Namibia’s green hydrogen and critical mineral sectors. These endeavours promise to reduce the cost of transporting green hydrogen and critical minerals to international markets, rendering Namibia an even more attractive hub for foreign investments in these industries.
