New Diamond Ship Boosts Namibia's Output
August 07, 22
(IDEX Online) - Namibia's diamond production increased by more than two thirds (67.2 per cent) following the launch of its latest diamond recovery vessel.
Second quarter figures for the second quarter of 2022 were 565,000 carats, up from 338,000 in Q2 last year.
Debmarine, a 50/50 joint venture between De Beers Group and the Government of Namibia, began operations in March with its new $420m vessel Benguela Gem.
The 177-meter ship (pictured) has joined Debmarine's five other ships dredging thousands of tonnes of sediment at 90 to 150 meters below the seabed, 12 miles off Namibia's south-western coast.
It was designed in Norway and Poland, built in Romania and fitted out with its proprietary mission equipment by De Beers Marine South Africa. It is expected to increase Debmarine's output by about 500,000 carats annually.