Namibia’s Daures Green Hydrogen Village makes first harvest

From the newsletter

Namibia’s Daures Green Hydrogen Village (DGHV), an innovative project aimed at leveraging green hydrogen technology to drive sustainable development, has marked a significant milestone with its first harvest of 10 tonnes of cucumbers. This achievement aligns with the project’s vision of producing net-zero, sustainably grown agricultural products in greenhouses, while fostering local employment opportunities and community partnerships.

• The cucumbers,  along with other vegetables like tomatoes and peppers, are cultivated using smart agriculture techniques within climate-controlled 10,000 m² greenhouses equipped with a butterfly-vent high-pressure fogging system. The project also includes a three-bay research and development system, a nursery pad, and a fan. 

• The techniques employed include hydroponic (soilless) agriculture and the use of Priva climate automated system which optimizes environmental conditions and water usage thereby ensuring high crop yields and efficient use of resources.

More details

• Next month, the Village is set to harvest its anchor crop, tomatoes, marking the production of Africa’s first “carbon-free” tomatoes. The project is expected to produce 200–400 tons of tomatoes annually.

• Officially launched in October 2024 by President Nangolo Mbumba after a two-year pilot phase, DGHV aims to become Africa’s first 100% net-zero village. The project focuses on green hydrogen and ammonia production, demonstrating hydrogen applications, fostering a green hydrogen economy, and providing research opportunities for students.

• Spanning 15,000 hectares in Namibia’s arid and largest constituency, Daures, the project is currently in Phase 1.5, which runs from 2024 to 2027 and is expected to generate 602 tonnes of green hydrogen annually. By 2032, upon full completion, production is set to reach 121,000 tonnes per year, eventually expanding to 240,000 tonnes annually.

• The project joins a growing list of high-profile green hydrogen initiatives in Namibia, including the flagship Hyphen Hydrogen Energy project, as well as Elof Hansson, HDF Energy, HyIron, Zhero, Cleanergy Solutions, and HyRail.

Our take

• The DGHV project is groundbreaking. While green hydrogen is primarily targeted for hard-to-abate industries like transportation and manufacturing, its application in smart agriculture—exemplified by the Namibian project—highlights its potential to enhance food security as well.

• Namibia is positioning itself as a global leader in green hydrogen production, with projections suggesting it could achieve some of the world's lowest production costs by 2030, second only to Chile. The country’s ambitious green hydrogen strategy targets an annual output of 10–12 million tonnes by 2050.

• Like many African nations, Namibia's green hydrogen initiatives rely heavily on external funding. The country benefits from the five-year USAID Southern Africa Mobilizing Investment project, which supports green hydrogen development. However, with U.S. President Donald Trump freezing foreign development assistance, the future of Namibia’s green hydrogen sector remains uncertain, leaving stakeholders in a wait-and-see position.