World’s leading marine-mining vessel sets sail

Yochanaan CoetzeeNamibia’s position as the global leader in marine mining is soon to be strengthened, through the latest and most advanced addition to Debmarine’s world-leading fleet of diamond-recovery vessels.“This massive N$7 billion investment in the new recovery vessel is a clear indication of business and consumer confidence in the glittering diamond industry,” said Anna Ikela, Senior Communication Officer at Debmarine Namibia.The construction of the Debmarine Namibia’s new recovery vessel is complete and the vessel was handed over officially om 19 August. At the occasion at the Damen Shipyard, Romania Mangalia, Debmarine Namibia’s chief financial officer, Willy Mertens said: “Today marks a significant milestone in the Debmarine Namibia calendar and our country, Namibia, as we witness the completion of the new vessel as a significant phase that will represent the largest ever single investment in the history of marine diamond recovery.”The beginningSteel cutting commenced in May 2019 in at the Damen Shipyard in Mangalia, while steel fabrication works and manufacturing of components of the recovery system, crawler and treatment plant were made in Walvis Bay, Cape Town and Johannesburg. “It all started about three years ago when we signed the construction contract with the Damen Shipyard followed by the steel cutting ceremony on 15 May 2019 - fast forward, we are here today attending this ceremony and handover of the seventh Debmarine Namibia diamond recovery vessel,” according to Mertens.Mertens thanked the Damen team and the De Beers Marine project team under the leadership of Mike Curtis, Anton Meiring and Greg Dirksen; “for getting us where are today under challenging circumstances especially in the last 18 months.Next stepThe next phase, starting with the maiden voyage and the integration of the vessel equipment is equally as important. Debmarine Namibia keenly awaits this great Namibian asset to reach the Namibian waters and join the rest of the fleet in recovering marine diamonds safely and sustainably, whilst building a lasting positive legacy for Namibia. To the crew, as you embark on the maiden voyage from Romania to the Port of Cape Town, I wish you smooth sailing,” he said.An earlier milestone was achieved when the main engines of the Additional Mining Vessel #3 (AMV3) were started successfully for the first-time. The sea trial was successfully completed on 12 August. The project team signed the completion certificate on 13 August and delivery is expected in Cape Town after the vessel sailed from Romania.From Romania with loveThe vessel has embarked on a month-long maiden voyage from Romania to the Port of Cape Town, where it was fitted with recovery equipment. The recovery equipment was being built in parallel with the vessel construction, and was being fast tracked to align to the target delivery of the vessel. Mission equipment is advancing with works to optimise the use of the bigger Superlift crane and prepare for in-port integration and commissioning. The full 44 delivery crew members boarded the vessel in Romania, with no critical staff risks identified at that stage. 75% of the crew members are fully vaccinated against Covid-19, with all the crew members having had their first dose. From Namibia to the worldDebmarine Namibia currently owns, manages and maintains diamond vessels operating in Namibia’s Atlantic 1 mining licence area including the MV Mafuta, MV Grand Banks, MV Debmar Pacific, MV Debmar Atlantic and MV !Gariep and the SS Nujoma, an exploration and sampling vessel. The company is the largest miner of diamonds in Namibia contributing approximately 70% of the total Namibian diamond production, and is one of the largest contributors to the national treasury. The construction of the AMV3 was made possible by co-funding from five banks (four commercial banks Nedbank, RMB, Standard Bank, Bank Windhoek and ABSA). Debmarine Namibia covered 25% of total project cost.

World’s leading marine-mining vessel sets sail

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