PORT OF WALVIS BAY, NAMIBIA – Diamond mining company Debmarine Namibia on March 18 officially inaugurated its latest diamond recovery vessel, christened on the day as the Benguela Gem (previously the AMV3), at the Port of Walvis Bay, Namibia.

Debmarine Namibia is a joint venture marine diamond and prospecting company owned by the government of Namibia and De Beers. The Benguela Gem will form part of the fleet operated by this 50:50 partnership.

This custom-designed vessel is the most technologically advanced and sophisticated of its kind, CEO Otto Shikongo acclaimed at the inauguration.

He explained that the name pays homage to the Benguela Current, which is responsible for Namibia’s marine riches, and that the aim was for this vessel to recover high-quality diamonds that would benefit and nourish the country in similar vein, in a way that respects the environment and protects the crew. 

Shikongo said the completion of this project marked the culmination of over six years of planning and was delivered three months ahead of deadline.

Moreover, this planning goes back even further, to 2017, when the SS Nujoma vessel was launched. Shikongo said the SS Nujoma delivered an “exceptional” performance in its first year, following which the company approached the idea to the board of building a new recovery vessel.

Following rigorous testing and a lot of planning, in May 2019, Debmarine Namibia approved building of this bespoke new vessel.

Building the Benguela Gem carried on throughout the pandemic, despite the difficulties this posed.

Moreover, the company had to manage operational aspects such as training the young men and women who would operate and maintain the vessel, he said.

The building occurred at the DAMEN shipyard in Romania, before heading from there to Walvis Bay for the inauguration, via Cape Town. The Benguela Gem was built with parts from 27 different countries, with some of the steelwork fabricated in Walvis Bay, in Namibia.

Shikongo highlighted a notable feature of the vessel as its dynamic positioning system, which uses learnings to automatically optimise the vessel’s performance to changing weather conditions to minimise energy use.

Notably, the Benguela Gem boasts an environmental green passport, which Shikongo said showcases the it was designed to the latest and highest environmental standards - “making her the most environment-friendly vessel of its kind”.

It is also recyclable at the end of its life.

Shikongo noted hat N$10-billion was invested into making the vessel a reality, with the project delivered 17% below budget. He also thanked the four Namibian banks that got together to financially back the project.

He described the vessel as the largest diamond recovery vessel ever built, as well as the largest registered Namibian vessel, at just over 19 000 gross tonnage.

With a design life of 30 years, the vessel would contribute 30 years to the diamond industry and the Namibian economy, Shikongo acclaimed, citing the diamond industry as the largest contributor to the country’s foreign direct earnings and private sector taxes.

The vessel is expected to contribute N$3-billions a year to the Namibian economy.

Moreover, Shikongo said that in the Benguela Gem’s maiden recovery operation in Atlantic 1, where Debmarine mines, the Benguela Gem recorded 103 hours non-stop operation at nameplate capacity, recovering 30 000 ct before stopping the operation for a scheduled import to address punch list items.

“This is what I call perfection in project management,” enthused Shikongo.

The vessel is expected to add an additional 500 000 ct of high-quality diamonds to yearly marine mining production.

Moreover, 160 highly skilled jobs are slated to be created.

Namibia President Dr Hage Geingob, delivering the keynote address at the inauguration, lauded this milestone as an "unbelievable investment” and a stellar example of private sector and government partnership.

Also present at the event was De Beers Group CEO Bruce Cleaver, who acclaimed that the symbiotic relationships between the two parties would generate much return for both, and that further success for both was reliant on collaboration.

He said the partnership enabled the highest private sector contribution to the Namibian economy should serve as an example of what successful joint ventures can achieve.

While the diamond industry was impacted by the pandemic, he was bullish about the outlook moving forward and highlighted the need to further showcase the contribution it makes to the Namibian economy.

Debmarine Namibia CFO Willy Mertens, meanwhile, acclaimed that the fruition of this vessel reinforces the company’s commitment to the sustainable use of Namibian resources for the benefits of all Namibians.

He also highlighted the company’s performance in 2021, with production having been on par with that of 2020, while revenue increased year-on-year, mainly driven by a recovery in the diamond industry after the impacts of Covid-19.

He said the vessel also showcases the company’s continued investment into the future of the diamond industry, with N$6-billion investment in the last three years, which shows its confidence in the outlook of the industry, and its aim to deliver value for the company and all Namibian shareholders.