De Beers, in a 50/50 joint venture with the Namibian government (known as Debmarine Namibia), has commissioned what is set to be the world’s largest, custom-built diamond mining vessel, as reported by Reuters. The ship, which will be operational in 2021, is expected to cost around US$142 million.

The 176m-long vessel will join a fleet of at least five other ships operated by Debmarine Namibia, and it will contribute to the group’s ability to recover diamonds off the country’s Atlantic coastline.

The announcement comes after the June 2017 official launch of Debmarine Namibia’s SS Nujoma, which is reportedly the world’s largest diamond exploration vessel.

The acquisition of the new mining vessel will help capitalise on the work of the SS Nujoma, improving the company’s ability to target mining activities and supporting the long-term future of Namibia’s diamond sector, according to De Beers Group CEO Bruce Cleaver. ‘There is a great amount of potential in Namibia’s marine diamond deposits and this new vessel will support our strategy to continue to grow our offshore operations.’

28 November 2017
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