Project Oshivela – (Oshiwambo for Iron)
The first industrial production of iron at net zero emissions based on the HyIron technology will be established in the context of the Oshivela project in Namibia. In the first project phase an annual output of 15,000 tonnes DRI (Direct Reduced Iron) is planned. With a planned start in late 2024, Oshivela will be one of the biggest primary production sites of green iron worldwide. Already at this stage, the project is expected to avoid 27,000 CO₂ emissions per year, equivalent to 50% of the CO₂ emissions of Namibia’s Power industry.
A key advantage of the HyIron technology is its modularity, which allows for rapid expansion of production capacities: A feasibility study is currently conducted to evaluate the mid-term capacity expansion to 1 million tonnes of green iron per year, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 1,8 Million tonnes CO₂e every year.
Namibia is uniquely positioned for the development of green iron given its abundant renewable energy resources and raw materials, robust infrastructure, skilled workforce, favourable and stable governance structures and legal frameworks as well as the ambition to become an important logistics hub for southern Africa.
Namibia is uniquely positioned for the development of green iron given its abundant renewable energy resources and raw materials, robust infrastructure, skilled workforce, favourable and stable governance structures and legal frameworks as well as the ambition to become an important logistics hub for southern Africa.
HyIron – The production process
The airtight rotary furnace is located at the centre of the production side. It is supplied with green hydrogen and iron ore:
Renewable energy replaces fossil fuels in the traditional production process. At Oshivela, renewable energy will be provided by a solar and wind energy power plant. In the first phase, a 20 MW solar photovoltaic installation will supply carbon-free electricity to the plant. For the first scaled up production phase an increase of 18 MW of wind energy and 140MW rated power solar energy are planned.
The power plant will mainly supply energy for the water electrolysis to produce the reduction agent hydrogen. The hydrogen is then transported into the furnace, where it reacts with the oxygen of the iron ore at ambient pressure to become water again. This water is reused in the process.
Our vision
Global demand for iron is projected to increase rapidly from 1.9 billion tonnes per year (current) to 2.2 billion tonnes by 2030. To meet this rising demand, additional production capacities of 50 million tonnes have to be added each year.
Given that solar and wind power are the most cost-effective energy resources today, it is critical that new production capacities take this transition into account and employ technologies built on these carbon free resources.
HyIron is a proven technology that enables this transition and allows scaling alongside the availability of renewable energies. The resulting iron has unprecedented purity levels, which allows for high quality steel production at reduced energy and material usage at the steel factory or foundry.
The Oshivela project with an annual production potential of 1 million tonnes iron per year is projected to avoid 1.8 million tonnes CO₂e/year. If applied to the needed additional production capacities of 300 million tonnes until 2030, 540 million tonnes CO₂e could be avoided yearly by 2030, providing an enormous contribution in the fight against climate change.
Learn more about our current project in Lingen.
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