Namibia greenlights 3GW solar project for hydrogen production

From the newsletter

Small news, big impact. Namibia’s Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism has issued an environmental clearance certificate (ECC) to Zhero Molecules to develop solar energy. The approval clears the way for the construction of a 3 GW solar plant, which will supply renewable energy for the production of green hydrogen and green ammonia.

• The project will be the largest solar power development in Namibia to date.

• It will be instrumental in boosting by multiples the country’s solar energy capacity, which has stagnated at 163 MW for the last two years, according to IRENA.

More details

• The environmental clearance certificate (ECC) covers the construction and operation of the solar plant and storage system, as well as the construction of substations, access roads and around 110 kilometres of overhead transmission lines that will connect the solar plant to the hydrogen and ammonia plant. Zhero Molecules also submitted a generation licence application to Namibia’s Electricity Control Board, seeking approval to operate the 3 GW solar plant alongside an accompanying 3,500 MWh of battery energy storage. 

• The solar plant will occupy around 5,300 hectares in Walvis Bay, Erongo region, Namibia’s midwestern coastal hub and second-largest city. It forms part of the larger Zhero Molecules Walvis Bay (zMWB) project, which spans three development zones around Walvis Bay. The first zone will host the solar PV plant and battery storage while the second will accommodate electrolysers, desalination facilities and ammonia synthesis units. Meanwhile, the third zone will include ammonia storage and port facilities to enable export.

• According to the project’s environmental and social management plan (ESMP) published in March 2025, the solar site is “strategically located in a semi-desert area with high solar radiation and minimal biodiversity, while being close to key towns such as Walvis Bay, the country’s biggest port.”

• The approval of the project is a landmark step for Namibia and for Africa’s wider green hydrogen ambitions. At this scale, it not only becomes Namibia’s largest renewable energy development, but also ranks among the continent’s biggest solar undertakings. Its planned 3,500 MWh of battery energy storage marks a leap forward in integrating renewables with large-scale storage on the continent. If realised at this scale, it would be one of the largest storage systems in Africa, helping balance intermittent solar output and providing stability to both the hydrogen project and the national grid. 

• The project’s location at Walvis Bay is strategic. As Namibia’s largest port, it offers direct access to maritime export routes. This proximity reduces logistics barriers for shipping green hydrogen and green ammonia to Europe and Asia, while also strengthening Namibia’s ability to serve regional markets.

• The growing hydrogen ambitions of African countries are driving unprecedented investment in giga-scale renewable energy projects. An analysis by our sister publication Renewables Rising shows that the scale of developments now underway was not even seen in industrialised nations during their early growth phases. This surge is fuelled by hydrogen’s immense energy requirements for electrolysis, which necessitate the construction of vast new renewable plants. 

• What makes these projects distinct is that they are being built entirely from scratch, avoiding additional strain on already overloaded grids. The first phase alone could add at least 60 GW of renewable energy capacity, nearly 70% of Africa’s current installed base.

Our take

• Namibia is  aligning its green hydrogen ambitions with the renewable energy capacity required to realise them.

• The transition from planning to permitting not only enhances investor confidence but also shows that the country’s hydrogen strategy is moving forward in tangible, measurable ways.

• For other African peers, the lesson from Namibia is that ambitions alone aren’t enough; they must be accompanied by concrete steps that support large-scale hydrogen projects.