Can Southern African nations build greener industry together?
Experts see opportunities for Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe to make use of their resources and potential for renewables to produce green iron and steel The post Can Southern African nations build greener industry together? appeared first on Dialogue Earth .
Southern African nations could unite to establish a green industrial hub and provide a lifeline to South Africa's struggling steel industry, according to Leanne Govindsamy, head of just transition at Southern Transitions. The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has recently agreed to a regional Just Energy Transition Framework, with a focus on green industrialisation and a "just steel transition" partnership.
South Africa boasts abundant sunshine and wind resources, making it a potential source of cheap "green iron" produced using renewable energy and green hydrogen. Namibia is already leading the way with Africa's first zero-emissions iron plant, powered by green hydrogen, while Zimbabwe is experiencing a resurgence in steelmaking due to significant Chinese investment.
The three countries' steel sectors are at different stages, with South Africa facing the consequences of deindustrialisation and faltering green steel ventures, Namibia making progress in green iron production, and Zimbabwe possessing chromium ores for stainless steel production. These countries could collaborate to leverage their natural resource endowments and decarbonise the steel industry in the region.
Namibia's Oshivela iron plant is currently piloting the use of green hydrogen to produce direct reduced iron (DRI) from iron ore using solar power. With EU funding and German engineering support, the plant aims to produce over 1 million tonnes of DRI annually. This project highlights the potential for Southern Africa to become a driver of global steel decarbonisation, exporting green iron to other countries at a lower cost than local production.
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