The Dâures Green Fertiliser Project has secured US$3.6 million (about N$59.5 million) in development funding to advance local, renewable-powered fertiliser production and boost Namibia’s food independence.
SDG Namibia has signed a development funding agreement with Enersense Energy Namibia to advance the project.
The funding forms part of a development budget of up to US$7.07 million (about N$113.4 million) and will be used to prepare the project for financial close, targeted for the second quarter of 2028.
Commercial operations are expected to begin in the first quarter of 2030.
The project is expected to produce up to 20 000 tonnes of green ammonia and 80 000 tonnes of ammonium sulphate fertiliser a year.
REDUCING IMPORT DEPENDENCE
The proposed facility is intended to use renewable energy and green hydrogen to produce fertiliser locally, reducing Namibia’s reliance on imported fertiliser.
The project developers say local production could strengthen regional fertiliser supply chains and reduce the carbon emissions associated with conventional fertiliser production.
Dâures Fertilizer Solutions interim chief executive Martin Nambundunga says local production is necessary to improve access to fertiliser for farmers.
“A country cannot truly be independent if it cannot feed its own people, and our farmers cannot produce enough food if we continue depending on expensive fertiliser imports,” he says.
Nambundunga says the project would use land that is unsuitable for conventional farming to produce agricultural inputs.
“Our goal is simple: Manufacture these inputs locally to make them accessible to farmers in Namibia and beyond, create jobs, support local industries with cleaner products, and improve livelihoods,” he says.
The commercial project is planned to include 60 megawatts of solar photovoltaic capacity, 10MW of wind generation, and a 65MWh battery storage system.
The renewable power would supply a 40MW electrolysis facility to produce green hydrogen. The hydrogen would then be converted into green ammonia and eventually ammonium sulphate fertiliser.
The project is expected to avoid about 48 000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions annually by replacing conventional fertiliser production based on grey ammonia.
It is also expected to create up to 115 permanent jobs, particularly in the rural area where the project is located.
Namibia Hydrogen Fund Managers chief executive Mercia Geises says the project could help Namibia move beyond exporting renewable resources by using them in domestic production.
“The Dâures Green Fertiliser Project aligns strongly with Namibia’s green industrialisation ambitions, creating greater value from the country’s renewable resources by using green hydrogen to produce a critical agricultural input at home,” she says.
PILOT PROJECT
The commercial project follows the Dâures Green Hydrogen Village pilot programme, which has already attracted about US$17.7 million for pilot and proof-of-concept activities.
Funding has come from the German federal ministry of education and research, the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation, the United Kingdom government and Enersense.
The pilot is expected to produce Namibia’s first locally manufactured green fertiliser by the fourth quarter of 2026.
The developers say data from the pilot project will be used to inform the design and optimisation of the larger commercial facility.
The almost N$60 million development commitment from SDG Namibia One is being provided through funding from the European Union’s Global Gateway strategy and Invest International.
