CMB.TECH Set to Create 5,385 Jobs in Namibia Through Green Ammonia Projects

CMB.TECH plans to create 5,385 construction and permanent jobs through its green ammonia projects in Walvis Bay and Arandis, as the company expands Namibia’s green fuel industry.

Speaking at the Green Industries Youth Forum in Windhoek on Friday, CMB.TECH’s corporate affairs manager, Abigail Raubenheimer, said the company is introducing hydrogen-powered transport to create local demand for green fuels.

“We want to create a market locally to be able to use the green hydrogen. So, we are bringing in these applications to stimulate that economy,” Raubenheimer said.

CMB.TECH is a Belgian maritime and clean-energy technology company that develops hydrogen and ammonia solutions for shipping and heavy transport.

It entered Namibia’s green hydrogen sector in 2022 through a partnership with the Ohlthaver & List Group, with their joint venture, Cleanergy Solutions Namibia, operating a green hydrogen production and refuelling facility at Farm 58 near Walvis Bay.

Raubenheimer said trials of a hydrogen-powered locomotive, developed in partnership with TransNamib, are planned for the end of November or early December. A hydrogen-powered port vessel is expected to arrive in early January, while 2 trucks have already been converted on site.

She said the planned ammonia terminal at Walvis Bay’s North Port will store 55,000 tonnes of refrigerated ammonia, creating 700 construction jobs and 85 permanent positions.

The planned Arandis development will include a 1.2-gigawatt solar plant and a 480-megawatt electrolyser, with the first phase targeting annual production of 200,000 tonnes of green ammonia, Raubenheimer added.

The project is expected to create 4,000 construction jobs and 600 permanent positions. A pipeline is also planned to transport the ammonia to Walvis Bay for ships to refuel, she said.

Raubenheimer said more than half of the company’s 22 on-site employees are young people, while approximately 95% of the team is Namibian.

“We want to upscale Namibia. This is a new industry as well,” she said, adding that the company wants Namibians to benefit from opportunities expected over the next five to six years.

The forum focused on youth participation in Namibia’s green industrial transition, sustainable energy, skills development and employment opportunities.