The Chief Executive of Arandis, Stanley Norris said the mining town is ready for major development after Cleanergy Solutions Namibia revealed during a stakeholders briefing held near Walvis Bay last Thursday, that it will invest an amount of N$50 billion for a large-scale Green Ammonia production site at Arandis
According to Norris, the town of Arandis will up-scale to a heavy industry town to get ready for the project that is set to yield 200,000 tonnes of green ammonia during its first production phase.
"There will be up-scaling from industry to heavy industry. The primary commodity that will be used to upscale is sunlight because Arandis has solar radiation most of the year and for a hybrid application - that is solar and other energy - Arandis is conducive as it can produce about 92% energy production," said Norris.
The Arandis Town Council approved the project in 2024 and is in the process of acquiring the 2,400ha land for the project which is subject to the award of an Environmental Clearance Certificate, expected in the second quarter of 2026.
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The construction phase of the project will be done in the fourth quarter of 2026, while operations will begin in 2030.
The project will provide 4,000 jobs during construction, and accommodate 600 permanent staff once operational.
Norris also said that vocational institutions in Arandis like the African Institute of Management Services (AIMS) and the Namibia Institute of Mining and Technology (NIMT) provide courses in Green Hydrogen, which will equip students with the needed skills for the project.
"One of the first certifications for hydrogen training is provided by AIMS. They are providing a certificate in hydrogen. Then there are also intense discussions with NIMT to continue (with the training)," said Norris.
The Namibia Green Hydrogen Programme's Executive for Impact, Environment, Social and Governance, Dr Eline van der Linden said that the Arandis Town Council will receive the needed support from the programme.
"Arandis Town Council is demonstrating clear foresight in its Strategic Plan and the Namibia Green Hydrogen Programme is supporting these plans by creating functional models for Common User Infrastructure in the Erongo Region," she said.
Common User Infrastructure includes pipelines and storage tanks for water, hydrogen, ammonia and other deviates. This covers port, railway, road and power infrastructure and may include handling and storage facilities.
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Cleanergy Solutions is a joint venture between Olthaver & List and a Belgian company, CMB.TECH.
Cleanergy Solutions currently has a pilot project near Walvis Bay Dune 7, which was launched in 2024. The site serves as a Green Hydrogen fuelling station - a first of its kind in Africa. This public refuelling service station will power ships and locomotives, using a 5MW electrolyzer and a 5MW battery.
At this site, the project has established a Hydrogen Academy to train future professionals on green hydrogen.
The consortium's envisioned large-scale Green Ammonia production site at Arandis is one of the two upcoming Cleanergy Solutions Namibia projects. The other is a Green Ammonia bunkering terminal set to be constructed at Walvis Bay in 2029.
High-level stakeholders who attended the meeting. (Photograph by Ministry of Urban and Rural Development)
