Namport is preparing Namibia’s Port of Lüderitz, located south of the Namib desert, to support investments in green energy, oil, and gas.

The infrastructural development plans will expand the port’s capacity to keep up with current and future cargo volumes and new industries such as green hydrogen, oil and gas.

Namport port engineer Elzevir Gelderbloem told the media that phase one of the envisaged expansion would double the port’s cargo handling capacity from three to six million tonnes a year.

This will alleviate pressure on the current facility’s physical capacity within Robert Harbour to accommodate dry bulk, break bulk and containerised cargo as well as increased logistics services to the offshore oil and gas operations.

“The port’s strategic location makes it an ideal hub for oil, gas and green hydrogen production in Namibia, which is expected to attract more businesses and investments in various sectors,” a Namport spokesperson said.

Expansion plans for Robert Harbour are well-developed, but work will not start until all required approvals are obtained due to ongoing environmental impact assessment studies. Pending these, phase one of the expansion plans could be realised by 2026/7, the spokesperson said.

Longer-term plans for the Port of Lüderitz are focused around a new deepwater section of the port at Angra Point in the adjacent bay, which will be able to accommodate several terminals.

The first will be a green ammonia export terminal that could be realised as early as 2028. Future terminals at Angra Point will be determined by demand over the next 30 years or more, the spokesperson said.