How Namibia has set the pace for Africa's green industrial revolution

IOL News

21-05-2025

Some of the role-players at the HyIron Oshivela Plant in Windhoek:, which has become the world's first facility to produce iron with zero emissions using green hydrogen.
AFRICA has scored a first with Hylron Oshivela Plant in Namibia being the world's first facility to produce iron with zero emissions, by using hydrogen, which gives hope that similar achievements can be delivered on the continent.
The successful mission moves Namibia to the top of the pile on the continent in terms of sustainable industrialisation in an era where more emphasis is placed on a green global economy.
With global energy demand at an all-time high, driven by numerous factors, including climate change and artificial intelligence (AI), energy security has never been more disrupted. Adding to energy's scarcity are factors like geopolitical tensions, trade barriers, and supply chain volatility.
However, these factors work both as a challenge for Africa and also offers the continent an opportunity to reimagine its industrial development pathway and create millions of jobs in the process, by fostering innovation, and preserving its rich natural ecosystems.
Just as well, the continent is on the brink of a major energy evolution, poised to supercharge the rising electricity demands of over 1.5 billion inhabitants, while propelling long-term socio-economic growth.
Presently, Africa is taking bold steps to build green industries that will scale green economies across the continent, marking a transformative.
Renewable energy is at the heart of Africa's green industrialisation strategy. By harnessing its diverse natural resources through the increased adoption of renewable energy sources including solar, wind, geothermal and hydropower, Africa can sustainably bring an end to energy poverty whilst unleashing large-scale green industrialisation.
Africa has the opportunity to harness its diverse natural resource mix to establish energy security to its 1.5 billion inhabitants, provide energy access to over 900 million inhabitants, enable clean cooking to those 600 million without, and become a global leader in green energy generation.
A landmark for the continent's green transformation is the African Union's Agenda 2063 and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), both of which provide a blueprint for sustainable industrialisation, intra-African trade, and value chain development.
Building on these frameworks, African leaders are embedding green principles into national and regional industrial policies to ensure economic growth does not come at the cost of environmental degradation.
Dr Amani Abou-Zeid, AU Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy believes that Africa has a unique opportunity to leapfrog traditional, carbon-intensive industrial models by investing in green industries that are climate-smart, resource-efficient, and future-proof.
'We are not just responding to the climate crisis – we are turning it into an engine of innovation, resilience, and inclusive development,' said Dr Abou-Zeid.
Namibia remains a trailblazer in the hydrogen space with up to five Final Investment Decisions (FID) scheduled to be made in 2025 / 2026. Namibia demonstrated African leadership and prowess on the global stage with its pioneering Oshivela project.
Her Excellency Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, President of the Republic of Namibia, inaugurated the HyIron project.
In reflecting on the project's worthwhileness, Johannes Michels, HyIron's managing director HyIron said: 'The biggest thing we can do is to become competitive with grey iron. So iron produced at emissions at the same prices. And that's where we work very hard towards.
'So we optimise the supply, we optimise power prices or the generation prices of our power. We do a lot of these things, a lot of this work now in preparation to reach this goal, because then off-take will not be a question, because if you can choose for the same price, a grey or a green product, the choice will be obvious.'
As a champion of fuelling Namibia and Africa's green industrial revolution, the sequel edition of the Global African Hydrogen Summit taking place from 9 – 11 September 2025, in Windhoek, Namibia, will aim to unlock the challenges and fast track the opportunities.
Held under the theme Ambition in Action: Fuelling Africa's Green Industrial Revolution, the Summit will provide a continuity of leadership and dialogue to drive partnerships for, and critical investments and financing into, bankable green energy projects of strategic and national importance across Africa.
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