Namibia is set to launch its first green hydrogen-powered heavy-duty freight locomotive later this year, according to CMB.TECH.
The project is being spearheaded by CMB.TECH Namibia in partnership with TransNamib Holdings Limited and Africa Global Logistics. The locomotive is currently being assembled at the facilities of Traxtion, a South African rail engineering and refurbishment specialist.
“Hydrogen-powered rail freight is coming to Namibia later this year. CMB.TECH Namibia, together with TransNamib and Africa Global Logistics, is developing Namibia’s first heavy-duty freight locomotive, powered by locally produced green hydrogen,” CMB.TECH said.
The locomotive will operate on the Walvis Bay–Windhoek freight corridor during a trial phase, completing 50 return trips between the Port of Walvis Bay and the container depot near Windhoek. The route spans 414 kilometres, rising from 6 metres above sea level at the coast to 1,601 metres in the Namibian highlands.
According to the company, the steep gradient provides a practical test of traction performance, fuel substitution and system reliability under continuous load conditions.
Green hydrogen for the project will be produced off-grid at CMB.TECH Namibia’s hydrogen plant in Walvis Bay. The locomotive is equipped with a 2,250-horsepower BeHydro dual-fuel hydrogen combustion engine, developed through a joint venture between CMB.TECH and Anglo Belgian Corporation.
The engine can operate on both diesel and green hydrogen, enabling immediate emission reductions while maintaining operational flexibility. Hydrogen will be stored on a dedicated fuel tender positioned behind the locomotive, carrying two 20-foot storage units with a capacity of up to 360 kilograms of compressed hydrogen each.
The system allows for refuelling via a mobile unit while the storage module remains on the tender, or for rapid container swapping to minimise downtime. The locomotive retains full functionality at all times. Should the hydrogen system become unavailable, the engine automatically continues operating on diesel, ensuring service continuity for freight operators.
“The locomotive retains full functionality at all times. Even if the hydrogen system is unexpectedly unavailable, the locomotive automatically continues running on traditional fuel alone. This ensures maximum reliability and gives operators the confidence to integrate hydrogen into their operations without compromising service continuity,” the company said.
The development comes as TransNamib explores modernisation options, including repowering parts of its fleet using dual-fuel hydrogen technology. Rather than investing in entirely new rolling stock, the initiative centres on converting an existing operational locomotive, demonstrating how hydrogen can be integrated into freight rail without major infrastructure changes.
