Journey of a diamond ship

Augetto Graig – It is not easy to realise a N$7 billion dollar dream and turn it from a twinkle in the eye of the dreamer into a sparkling gem on the waters of the Atlantic, especially in the time of a pandemic.
Nevertheless, Debmarine Namibia eagerly awaits the arrival of their incredible third Additional Mining Vessel (AMV3) early next year.

Back in May 2019, when the unique underwater diamond recovery partnership between the Namibian government and De Beers first announced board approval for the world’s first custom-built diamond recovery vessel, they called it the largest single investment ever in the marine diamond industry.

Namibian ministry of mines and energy Tom Alweendo said the government appreciated the investment. “It is through investments like this we can continue to develop Namibia’s economy. As the government we will continue to do what we can to promote and encourage investment in the mining sector,” he said.

Five commercial banks partnered in the massive financing deal for 80% of the vessel construction costs, while 20% is contributed by Debmarine Namibia. In its first five years of production, the AMV3 is expected to contribute N$2 billion per annum in taxes and royalties to the Namibian treasury.

At the time Bruce Cleaver, CEO De Beers Group said: “Some of the highest quality diamonds in the world are found at sea off the Namibian coast. With this investment we will be able to optimise new technology to find and recover diamonds more efficiently.”

Debmarine Namibia is a joint venture marine diamond prospecting and mining company, owned in equal shares by the Namibian government and De Beer Group, which commenced operations in January 2002. It operates five diamond recovery vessels and one exploration and sampling vessel, the mv SS Nujoma.

The vessels recover diamonds off the ocean floor using highly advanced drill technology, supported by sophisticated tracking, positioning and surveying equipment. Debmarine Namibia is ISO 14001 ISM and OHSAS 18001 certified and is recognised as a world leader in marine diamond exploration and recovery.

On completion the vessel is expected to add 500 000 carats annually to Debmarine Namibia’s production, an increase of 35%. The new vessel is expected to add 160 new jobs to the existing 975 employment opportunities that the company provides.

At 177 metres long, the new vessel is slightly larger than the previous largest vessel in the Debmarine Namibia fleet; the Mafuta. Constructed from Marin Teknikk design MT 6027, it is the most technologically advanced marine diamond recovery vessel in the world. On-board features include a dynamic positioning system (DP2) based on a seven-thruster propulsion system powered by six generators of 3230 eKW each.

After selecting Damen Shipyards to build the vessel, work started in earnest with a special steel cutting ceremony at the Mangalia shipyard in Romania, the largest of all Damen’s yards, with a total of three graven drydocks up to 60 metres in width and 1.6 km total berthing space.

Damen sales director offshore, Ruud van der Stroom, was thrilled at the opportunity to apply Damen expertise at this greater scale.

“So far, Damen’s newbuild focus has mainly been on standardisation and in-house or own design vessels, along with various types of support and service vessels built for the offshore market. However, the facilities in Mangalia allow us to respond positively to Debmarine Namibia’s newbuild enquiry: an engineered-to-order project with vessel dimensions beyond that built by Damen ever before,” he said.

Michael Curtis, head of the AMV3 vessel project for De Beers Marine South Africa said: “We were already well aware of Damen’s reputation as a reliable, efficient shipbuilder, and we are pleased to contract Damen to build this vessel for us after successfully winning a global tender for the construction of the vessel.

“De Beers Marine South Africa has been constructing the mission equipment, comprising a subsea crawler and diamond recovery plant, in South Africa in parallel to the vessel construction, which will be integrated into the vessel by De Beers Marine South Africa.

“Given the parallel path and complexity of the project, it is critical to work with the best shipbuilders who have a reputation for performance and on-time delivery.”

The AMV3 was successfully launched in Damen Shipyard, Mangalia Romania on Saturday, 21 November 2020. At the time Otto Shikongo, Debmarine Namibia CEO said: “It brings a great comfort to learn that the AMV3 was launched successfully in Romania.” Shikongo could not be present at the launch due to Covid-19 related restrictions on travel.

Once afloat it took another seven months to outfit the fully operational vessel followed by its maiden voyage to Cape Town, where mission equipment is being installed before sea trials commence. During the maiden voyage the ship crossed the equator for the first time and the crew performed a special fun traditional maritime ritual the ‘Equator Crossing’ ceremony to mark the occasion. Young sailors who cross the equator for the first time are initiated by ‘King Neptune’ to ensure they can handle long tough voyages at sea. The vessel arrived in Cape Town on 19 September 2021 and is expected to start sea trials in November.

AMV3 SIGNIFICANT EVENTS
• Signing – May 2019
• Steel Cutting – May 2019
• Keel Laying ceremony in Romania – March 2020
• Launching in Romania – November 2020
• Vessel deliver in Romania – August 2021
• Arrival in Cape Town – September 2021
• Sea trials – November 2021
• Inauguration – Q1 2022
• Handover to Operations – May 2022

Young sailors who cross the equator for the first time are initiated by King Neptune like marine electrician Joseph Nangolo, seen here.

The launching of the AMV3 in Romania in November 2020
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