Name of the Project
Benguela Gem (formerly known as AMV3) diamond recovery vessel.

Location
Namibia.

Project Owner/s
Debmarine Namibia, a 50:50 joint venture between De Beers Group and the Namibia government.

Project Description
The 177-m-long Benguela Gem – the seventh in the Debmarine Namibia fleet – is a custom-built vessel that combines the latest technology and fully integrated design to achieve efficiency, reliability and accuracy.

It has the capacity to add 500 000 ct/y to Debmarine’s production, a 45% increase on current levels.

The vessel is the biggest single investment ever made in the marine diamond industry and will use an underwater crawling system to scour the seabed for diamonds.

Benguela Gem includes a state-of-the-art dynamic positioning system that automatically optimises the vessel’s performance in changing weather to minimise energy use. It also generates its own fresh water using heat-recovery systems and a reverse osmosis plant.

The vessel will also become the biggest ship in Debmarine’s fleet, exceeding the size of Debmarine Namibia’s current biggest vessel, the Mafuta, by 8 000 t displacement.

Potential Job Creation
Not stated.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
The project has an internal rate of return of more than 25% and a payback of three years.

Capital Expenditure
$420-billion, compared with the initial estimate of $468-million.

Planned Start/End Date
Production started in March 2022.

Latest Developments
The Benguela Gem has been commissioned ahead of schedule and below budget.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
Damen (construction of Benguela Gem); Marin Teknikk (Benguela Gem design); and ABB (integrated power system package).

Contact Details for Project Information
De Beers Group (South Africa), Pranill Ramchander, tel +27 11638 2592 or email pranill.ramchander@angloamerican.com.