The state-of-the-art crawlers are said to represent the pinnacle of marine engineering.
by Blue Africa News
Debmarine Namibia has unveiled the Next Generation subsea Crawlers (NGC), marking a breakthrough in offshore diamond recovery technology, in a landmark innovation by De Beers Upstream Technology business in South Africa.
The two 800NB (Nominal Bore) and an upgraded recovery system were engineered for seamless integration with the MV Benguela Gem – a diamond recovery vessel owned by Debmarine Namibia, a joint venture between the Namibian government and De Beers Group.
According to a press statement by debmarine.com, the two state-of-the-art crawlers represent the pinnacle of marine engineering.
“Purpose-built to operate in coarser gravels and higher-density panels, they deliver a 20% increase in mining rate and a 30% improvement in pump life. Weighing 370 tonnes these machines redefine operational capability and resilience at sea,” the statement reads in part.
The crawlers were unveiled on Monday, September 08 at the Cape Town harbour, celebrating years of “research, engineering excellence and shared vision.”
The technology, said Willy Mertens, Chief Executive Officer of Debmarine Namibia, represents their commitment to sustainable innovation and operational excellence, indicating that they are proud to pioneer advancements that will shape the future of marine recovery.
“We are confident that the new crawler investment combined with technological innovation and disciplined cost management, will position Debmarine Namibia to weather the downturn; and will put the company in a better position, poised for recovery when the natural diamond market demand strengthens,” said Kevin Smith, Chairman of the Debmarine Namibia Board.
“We have taken everything we have learned from earlier models and engineered a crawler that can operate with significantly enhanced efficiency, with greater reliability,” added Rudi Agostinho, Beers Upstream Technology Next Generation Crawler project manager.
Parallel training sessions are already ongoing to ensure safe and effective operation of the new systems, as the MV Benguela Gem prepares to return to the Namibian waters at the end of September 2025.
Oliver Ochieng, Blue Africa News