An agreement has been signed between De Beers Marine and Wärtsilä to replace the existing gensets onboard its vessel.
Agreement details
A report released by the Global Mining Review reports has announced that an agreement has been finalised between Wärtsilä and De Beers Marine for the replacement of generating sets aboard De Beers’ 1970’s built diamond mining ship.
New gensets
The 1970 built vessel ‘Debmar Pacific’ is all set to be fitted with new Wärtsilä gensets. The replacement of the existing gensets is expected to extend the lifetime and improve reliability.
The agreement, signed in May 2018, expands the co-operation 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 diamond mining vessels Grand Banks and Debmar Atlantic. Wärtsilä is currently carrying out an engine control system upgrade project in Debmarine Namibia diamond mining vessel Mafuta.
Cost effective
Debmar Pacific is owned and operated by Debmarine Namibia, a joint venture between De Beers Group and the Namibian government. Debmar Pacific is engaged in diamond mining operations off the coast of Namibia. With the use of 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.
Domingos Valbom, General Manager, De Beers Marine said, “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 new build”.
Reduced Ownership cost
Serge Begue, Vice President, South Europe & Africa, Services at Wärtsilä said, “We are happy to deepen our relationship with De Beers Marine and honoured by the trust they show us by choosing Wärtsilä to improve the reliability of one more vessel in their fleet. In addition, its fuel consumption will be lower, contributing to both better environmental performance and reduced total cost of ownership.”
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Source: Wartsila
