ITOCHU Corporation has agreed to explore potential collaboration areas in order to drive forward Hyphen Hydrogen Energy’s (Hyphen) green hydrogen project in Namibia
The two companies signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) and will now enter into talks on areas of potential collaboration on sub-Saharan’s largest and only fully vertically-integrated green hydrogen project.
Marco Raffinetti, CEO of Hyphen, commented, “Hyphen expects Japan to emerge as one of the key demand centres for green ammonia globally and we are delighted to have the opportunity to explore areas for collaboration with ITOCHU to unlock supply into this critical market.
“I firmly believe that Namibia has the potential to become a long-term strategic partner to Japan for the supply of green hydrogen, well beyond the scale of Hyphen’s project, given Namibia’s unique competitive advantages in green hydrogen production. Combined with the support of the government of the Republic of Namibia that is progressively advancing the development of its green hydrogen economy.”
Raffinetti signed the agreement with Shinya Ishizuka, ITOCHU’s CEO of Africa bloc, in the presence of the minister of economy, Trade and Industry for Japan, Nishimura Yasutoshi, and the minister for mines and energy for Namibia, Tom Alweendo.
Ishizuka added, “We are pleased that ITOCHU, a leading general trading and investment house in Japan, is contributing to a low-carbon society together with Hyphen. With this collaborative development of green ammonia in Namibia, ITOCHU will aim to create a wide range of ammonia value chains in various existing industrial applications as well as for future energy use, and will support our clients and industries in achieving low carbonisation goals focusing on Japan, Asia and its surrounding markets.”
Lookout for African Review's hydrogen report, outlining the projects sprouting up across the continent, in the upcoming September issue of African Review.
