Unveiling the first green iron production plant in Africa

Weather of Arabia - The first green iron production plant in Africa was officially unveiled, which relies in its operation on clean electricity generated by green hydrogen. This project is considered a strong contributor to the removal of carbon from the strategic iron industry, which is considered emissions-intensive and accelerates the pace of climate change, according to information Compiled by the specialized energy platform.

In this context, Namibia has launched the starting signal to work on building the first green iron production plant in Africa, which will operate only with clean hydrogen, according to a statement issued by the Investment and Development Promotion Authority in the southwestern African country, published by Business Insider Africa. .

German financing

The steel industry, one of the most polluting sectors of the global economy, is trying hard to transition from coal-fired plants to carbon-neutral ones.

The statement, issued by the Investment and Development Promotion Authority on November 7, 2023 , said that the first green iron production plant in Africa, called Oshivela, located in western Namibia, enjoys the support of the German federal government, which contributed to its construction worth 13 million. Euros (about 14 million US dollars).

The capacity of the first green iron production plant in Africa reaches 15 thousand tons annually, and it uses entirely renewable electricity sources, which do not emit any harmful carbon emissions to the environment.

Iron ore is usually reduced in blast furnaces by adding coke from hard coal, which emits a lot of carbon dioxide.

One-eighth of global emissions

Iron manufacturing currently accounts for about one-eighth of global carbon dioxide emissions and is therefore a significant contributor to climate change. Currently, natural gas or hydrogen is used instead of coke as a reducing agent in iron production plants, according to reports published on the specialized energy platform. .

In this context, the German Minister of Economy and Climate Action, Robert Habeck, pointed out that Namibia has ideal conditions for producing green hydrogen using solar and wind energy, and explained that since Namibia has a large reserve of iron ore, renewable hydrogen can be used to produce green iron cost-effectively in Areas adjacent to iron mines.

As part of efforts to reduce carbon emissions, green iron is an essential component of the decarbonization of the German steel industry, as stated in statements published on the relevant energy platform.

Green hydrogen giant

Last year, Namibia became the first country in Africa to sign an agreement with the European Union to supply minerals and green hydrogen, a vital basis for the development of sustainable energy technologies.

The first green iron production plant in Africa is scheduled to be operated during the last quarter of next year (2024), as Windhoek aims to achieve an annual production capacity of one million metric tons of this strategic metal.

In addition, the special envoy of the German-Namibian Cooperative for Climate and Energy, Reiner Bakke, confirmed that the green iron that will be produced at the new plant in Namibia may be used as a primary product in the steel industry in Germany, specifically in the manufacture of green steel that is used in the manufacture of wind turbines and cars. .

The HyIron technology used at the plant, which processes iron ore in a rotary kiln with the help of green hydrogen, is considered a biotechnology.

It is worth noting that Namibia is preparing to launch its green hydrogen export strategy before the middle of the current decade (2025), and it announced a partnership worth US$47 million with Germany in August 2021 to enhance cooperation in the field of green hydrogen production.

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Sources:

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