The Daures Green Hydrogen Village (DGHV) marked a significant milestone on 12 September 2025 with the groundbreaking of its green ammonia fertiliser plant, a flagship project under Namibia’s green hydrogen programme.
The event, attended by government officials, investors, and community representatives, underscored the village’s role as a pioneer in harnessing hydrogen for agricultural transformation.
Speaking at the ceremony, DGHV Chief Executive Officer Jerome Namaseb emphasised that the fertiliser produced at the plant would first target regional markets. “The market of the ammonium fertilisers will be local and regional (SADC) region,” he told reporters, highlighting the project’s immediate focus on meeting southern Africa’s growing agricultural demand.
The facility builds on the pilot systems already operating at the village, where DGHV produces 18 tonnes of green hydrogen and 100 tonnes of green ammonia per year through off-grid wind and solar.
These units have been supplying trial plots of maise, wheat and vegetables since 2023.
Namaseb earlier explained: “The plant is currently in the stages of installing and commissioning the hydrogen ammonia generating equipment; operations are in full swing on site.”
Funding support for the expansion comes from the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) under its Accelerate-to-Demonstrate (A2D) programme. UNIDO has earmarked financing for the demonstration-scale ammonium sulphate fertiliser plant, which is expected to be completed in late 2026.
The A2D programme is designed to move green hydrogen technologies beyond pilots by supporting projects that can demonstrate commercial viability at scale, with a focus on emerging markets such as Africa.
Looking beyond the demonstration phase, DGHV has presented a commercial blueprint anchored in a hybrid 5.5 GW solar and wind installation paired with a 2.5 GW electrolyser.
This larger rollout could ultimately deliver more than 1 million tonnes of renewable ammonia annually, serving both Namibian farmers and export markets.
Namaseb has stressed that Daures is as much about food security as it is about energy transition.
“Producing fertiliser locally from clean ammonia is about both economic opportunity and food security,” he said.
Job creation is central to this opportunity.
The construction and commissioning phases of the fertiliser plant are expected to create more than 600 direct jobs, with hundreds more in supporting industries such as transport, engineering, and maintenance.
Once operational, the plant will provide permanent employment for technicians, engineers, and farm extension officers, while also supporting thousands of farmers who will benefit from cheaper, locally produced fertilisers.
The project further includes training programmes to equip young Namibians with specialised skills in hydrogen technologies, agriculture, and renewable energy.
Women and youth from surrounding communities are expected to be the primary beneficiaries of these skills transfer initiatives, ensuring that green hydrogen development translates into inclusive growth.
The Daures Green Hydrogen Village, located in the Erongo region, has been envisioned as a model settlement powered entirely by renewable energy, with integrated farming, housing, and industrial projects linked to hydrogen.
The fertiliser plant is the latest step in its multiphase development, which includes hydrogen production, ammonia conversion, and value-added industries.
DGHV is also the first green hydrogen village of its kind in Africa, positioning Namibia as a continental leader in linking renewable energy with agriculture and industrialisation.
Its first-of-its-kind status has already drawn international attention from investors and policymakers looking to replicate the model elsewhere.
