Africa: Hydrogen can unlock water and wider benefits

The big green hydrogen plants, which will put big desalination plants, provide an opportunity to now avail water that was not there before

Countries pursuing hydrogen at scale should not view it solely as an end product but consider the broader value chain, including new opportunities such as improved water availability.

This is according to Dr Zivayi Chiguvare, Acting Director, Namibia Green Hydrogen Research Institute, University of Namibia, who spoke at a recent Hydrogen-Water Connection webinar hosted by ESI Africa.

Dr. Chiguvare said that underdeveloped countries like Namibia might industrialise by using some of their hydrogen to make goods locally.

He emphasised the importance of water, stating that in a desert country like Namibia, the water for drinking and agriculture is scarce. 

“We don’t have the water and desalination, and these big green hydrogen plants, which will put big desalination plants, actually provide an opportunity to now avail water that was not there before for use by human beings and their agriculture in terms of animals and crops. 

“And we see this as a big plus in terms of societal development. We are looking at Namibia as a country that is, I don’t want to call it developing; I want to call it underdeveloped.”

Hydrogen production isn’t always the point of the value chain, maybe thing about the water production too

He said Namibia currently imports about 70% of its electricity from South Africa each year.

“And we are now looking at companies that want to utilise the water from the ocean, desalinate it, produce hydrogen, and, from oversized photovoltaic plants, produce baseload power to be imported into the grid of Namibia from the Namibian land.

“And hopefully with time, also export the electricity to the Southern African Power Pool. So to the countries that want to go hydrogen and to go for it in a big way, do not look at hydrogen only as the end product. Look at the whole value chain and what it brings to the nation, including water that is now available, which was not there before.

“Let’s not just think of utilising already available fresh water, because we do not have it, for example, in Namibia.”

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