JinkoSolar has announced that it has supplied 25MW of its high-efficiency N-type TOPCon panels for the first phase of a solar-powered hydrogen project which supports green iron manufacture at Namibia’s Oshivela plant. Once online, it will be Africa’s first commercial green iron plant and a significant milestone for the continent’s green industrial transition. The company has also signed an MoU to supply the upcoming second and third phases of the project, which will bring the total capacity up to 1.811GW.
HyIron´s Oshivela Green plant is pioneering a transformative approach to the manufacture of iron, using hydrogen as a clean energy source to enable the plant to achieve carbon neutrality, effectively mitigating the environmental footprint associated with traditional iron production methods.
“On behalf of HyIron, I am delighted to share our vision and plans for global collaboration with JinkoSolar on our Green Iron Project,” commented company MD Johannes Michels. “HyIron is focusing on renewable energy and engineering green industrial solutions. Our core technology, known as HyIron Technology, is an innovative process that utilizes green hydrogen to reduce iron ore in a rotary kiln, resulting in fully carbon-neutral iron production.
“Our collaboration with JinkoSolar will materialize in the Oshivela project in Namibia, where we aim to establish the world’s first industrial production of iron at net-zero emissions. By joining forces with Jinko, we are collectively contributing to the global energy transition and building a greener, more sustainable future.”
The cost of green hydrogen is the key to the project’s ROI and mainly depends on the cost of green power. The high efficiency and high generation performance of the Tiger Neo panels delivers the lowest possible LCOE to secure the economic value of the project and makes it competitive against fossil fuel-based iron production.
“We are delighted to be supplying our Tiger Neo modules to power Africa’s first solar hydrogen powered green iron plant which represents a paradigm shift in the iron industry and will set a precedent for sustainable manufacturing practices on a global scale. Initiatives like HyIron’s Oshivela plant serve as beacons of hope and inspiration in Africa and the rest of the world,” added Jaffer Wang, Jinko GM for the SSA region.
The Oshivela project in western Namibia is backed by the German federal government, which has injected 13 million euros, and will use renewable energy to generate 15,000 tonnes of iron per year with no carbon emissions, the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB) said in a statement.
Namibia last year became the first African country to sign an agreement with the European Union to supply the bloc with green hydrogen and minerals needed for clean energy technology.
The iron produced at the plant can also be used as a preliminary product in steel production in Germany to manufacture green steel for the production of wind turbines or vehicles, said Rainer Baake, Special Envoy for German-Namibian Climate and Energy Cooperation.
JinkoSolar is one of the largest and most innovative solar module manufacturers in the world. JinkoSolar distributes its solar products and sells its solutions and services to a diversified international utility, commercial and residential customer base in China, the United States, Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom, Chile, South Africa, India, Mexico, Brazil, the United Arab Emirates, Italy, Spain, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Poland, Austria, Switzerland, Greece and other countries and regions.
JinkoSolar has 14 productions facilities globally, 24 overseas subsidiaries in Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, India, Turkey, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, the United States, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Australia, Canada, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates, Denmark, Indonesia, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia, and global sales teams in China, the United States, Canada, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Italy, Germany, Turkey, Spain, Japan, the United Arab Emirates, Netherlands, Vietnam and India, as of September 30, 2023.
Last year JinkoSolar announced that it is the winner of the Solar Power World 2023 Leadership in Solar Energy Award in the solar panel category.
Solar Power World is a premier media outlet for the U.S. solar market and has the largest solar installer, contractor, and developer audience in the industry. Solar Power World’s user community voted for JinkoSolar as the solar panel manufacturer who, in its opinion, best exemplifies solar leadership.