Cleanergy has applied to renew and amend the environmental clearance certificate for its Green Hydrogen Demonstration Plant in Walvis Bay, proposing a major expansion of the project’s renewable power, storage and hydrogen production infrastructure in the Erongo Region.
The amendment would increase the plant’s solar generation capacity from the originally approved 5 megawatt peak (MWp) installation to a 100 MWp photovoltaic facility, while battery storage would be expanded from 5.9 megawatt-hours to about 230 megawatt-hours to support continuous hydrogen production.
The project also centres on a 5 MW alkaline electrolyser designed to split water into hydrogen and oxygen using renewable electricity generated on-site.
Central to the expansion is the proposed enlargement of the project’s solar generation capacity from the originally approved 5 MWp solar park to a 100 MWp photovoltaic installation.
The expansion would allow the facility to generate substantially more renewable electricity to support hydrogen production and associated industrial processes.
The project developers are also seeking approval to scale up energy storage capacity dramatically. Battery storage would increase from 5.9 megawatt-hours to approximately 230 megawatt-hours under the amended design.
The storage expansion is intended to stabilise the renewable power supply to the hydrogen production systems and enable continuous operation even during periods of fluctuating solar output.
At the centre of the demonstration plant is a 5 MW alkaline electrolyser that will use electricity generated from the solar facility to split water into hydrogen and oxygen.
Hydrogen produced by the electrolyser would then feed downstream industrial processes planned for the site.
The renewal and amendment of the environmental clearance certificate includes the submission of a scoping and assessment report together with an updated environmental and social management plan covering several additional infrastructure components planned for the facility.
Among the additional facilities proposed is a small-scale ammonia production plant designed to produce approximately four tonnes of ammonia per day.
The ammonia unit would convert hydrogen produced at the site into ammonia using nitrogen extracted from the air, creating a hydrogen carrier that can be stored, transported and potentially exported.
The amendment application also covers several new supporting utilities required for the expanded facility. These include a flare system for process safety, a nitrogen generation unit to supply the ammonia plant, a water treatment facility to produce purified water required for electrolysis, and a cooling water system to support plant operations.
The Cleanergy demonstration plant is located in the Walvis Bay industrial area and was originally developed as Namibia’s first operational green hydrogen pilot project.
The facility was launched in 2021 as a joint venture between the Ohlthaver & List Group and the Belgian maritime and clean energy company CMB.TECH, with the project implemented through the Cleanergy Solutions Namibia platform.
The partnership combined O&L’s local industrial infrastructure and logistics with hydrogen fuel and maritime technology developed by CMB.TECH.
The project integrates solar power generation, battery storage, and hydrogen electrolysis systems at the Hydrogen Dune site near Walvis Bay.
The plant’s 5 MW electrolyser system was supplied by the United States hydrogen technology company Plug Power, which installed the GenEco electrolyser to produce hydrogen from renewable electricity generated at the site.
Since commissioning, the facility has been used to produce green hydrogen for pilot mobility and industrial applications, including hydrogen-powered transport trials in the Walvis Bay area.
The project has also been used to test hydrogen production systems under Namibia’s coastal desert conditions while exploring potential logistics pathways through the nearby Port of Walvis Bay.
The project’s ownership structure has evolved since its launch. In 2025, the Ohlthaver & List Group sold its 51 per cent shareholding in Cleanergy Solutions Namibia to H₂Infra NV, a subsidiary of CMB.TECH.
The transaction effectively transferred full control of the project to the Belgian hydrogen and maritime technology company, which is now leading further expansion and development of the facility.
The proposed amendment represents a significant scale-up from the plant’s original demonstration configuration. Expanding solar generation to 100 MWp and installing large-scale battery storage would substantially increase the amount of renewable energy available for hydrogen production at the site.
The addition of ammonia synthesis capacity also reflects the growing role of hydrogen derivatives in global energy markets.
Ammonia is widely seen as one of the most practical carriers for transporting hydrogen over long distances because it can be stored and shipped using existing industrial infrastructure.
If approved, the amended environmental clearance certificate would allow the developers to move forward with the expanded facility and significantly increase the scale of renewable hydrogen production and associated industrial processes at the Walvis Bay site.
