Wärtsilä secures operations of De Beers’ diamond mining vessel
Wärtsilä and De Beers Marine have signed an agreement for the replacement of generating sets aboard De Beers’ diamond mining ship Debmar Pacific. The vessel, originally built in the 1970s, will be outfitted with new Wärtsilä gensets to extend their lifetime and improve reliability, the company said in its press release.
Debmar Pacific is engaged in diamond mining operations off the coast of Namibia. With modern gensets, the lifetime of the vessel is extended and its specific fuel oil consumption (SFOC) is reduced. In addition, the new equipment is more reliable and needs less maintenance, reducing disruptions in operations and OPEX expenditure.
Debmar Pacific is owned and operated by Debmarine Namibia, a joint venture between De Beers Group and the Namibian government. “Offshore mining operations require reliable, cost-effective power. By investing in efficient, modern generating sets, we can significantly improve the availability of Debmarine Namibia’s vessels and thereby increase productivity. In addition, we are unifying the engine base to Wärtsilä engines on some vessels, including a recently completed newbuild,” says Domingos Valbom, General Manager, De Beers Marine.
This agreement, signed in May 2018, expands the cooperation between Wärtsilä and Debmarine Namibia. In 2017, De Beers Marine and Wärtsilä signed similar type of agreements to outfit new Wärtsilä gensets to Debmarine Namibia’s diamond mining vessels Grand Banks and Debmar Atlantic. Additionally, Wärtsilä is currently carrying out an engine control system upgrade project in Debmarine Namibia’s diamond-mining vessel Mafuta.
Wärtsilä Services in brief
Wärtsilä Services provides high-quality lifecycle services that enhance customers’ business. Its broad range of services supports both shipping and power generation companies, whenever and wherever needed. Solutions range from spare parts and basic support to ensuring the maximised lifetime, increased efficiency and guaranteed performance of the customer’s equipment or installation – in a safe, reliable, and environmentally sustainable way.
Wärtsilä in brief
Wärtsilä is a global leader in smart technologies and complete lifecycle solutions for the marine and energy markets. By emphasising sustainable innovation, total efficiency and data analytics, Wärtsilä maximises the environmental and economic performance of the vessels and power plants of its customers. In 2017, Wärtsilä’s net sales totalled EUR 4.9 billion with approximately 18,000 employees. The company has operations in over 200 locations in more than 80 countries around the world. Wärtsilä is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki.
