Debmarine Namibia’s new N$7 billion diamond recovery vessel, Additional Mining Vessel #3 (AMV3), is expected to arrive in Cape Town, South Africa next week ahead of commissioning early next year.
The Namibia Economist reports that the AMV3 took her maiden voyage to the Port of Cape Town from Romania on 19 August.
"Today marks a significant milestone on the Debmarine Namibia calendar and for our country Namibia, as we witness the completion of the vessel, a significant phase that represents the largest ever single investment in the history of marine diamond recovery,” Debmarine Namibia chief financial officer Willy Mertens was quoted as saying.
“We keenly await the arrival of this asset to join the rest of the fleet to recover marine diamonds safely and sustainably, while building a lasting positive legacy for Namibia."
Delivery of the vessel was initially scheduled in July and it was not clear what caused the delay.
The AMV3 will be fitted with its recovery equipment in Cape Town and it is expected to boost Debmarine’s output by about 500 000 carats.
The construction of the vessel began in May 2019.
Debmarine Namibia currently operates five diamond recovery vessels as well as one exploration and sampling vessel.
Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished
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