WINDHOEK, March 19 — Debmarine Namibia, a 50-50 joint venture between De Beers and the government of Namibia, on Friday commissioned a new diamond recovery vessel, which will add 500,000 carats of high-value diamonds to annual marine production.
“The Benguela Gem is a custom-built vessel that combines the latest technology and fully integrated design to achieve unrivaled efficiency, reliability, and accuracy,” De Beers Group CEO Bruce Cleaver said.
The investment in this vessel will support a long-term, sustainable future for the diamond sector of Namibia, which is home to some of the most sought-after diamonds in the world, he said.
“A state-of-the-art dynamic positioning system automatically optimizes the vessel’s performance in changing weather conditions to minimize energy use. The vessel represents an outstanding feat of engineering design, technology innovation, and sustainability performance,” Cleaver said.
The vessel also generates its own freshwater through the use of heat recovery systems and a reverse osmosis plant. (Xinhua)
