Chamwe Kaira
Debmarine Namibia unveiled its Next Generation Crawlers this week in Cape Town, introducing new technology for the MV Benguela Gem that is expected to increase diamond recovery by about 80 000 high-value carats annually.
The boost will more than offset the carats lost through the retirement of two older vessels.
Head of projects and technology development, Danie van Aswegen, said the new crawlers were designed to be more robust to extend their lifespan. They cost close to N$1 billion to develop.
He explained that the Benguela Gem undergoes servicing every three years, while its crawler is replaced every 18 months.
“It needs to be changed out because it is under so much load at the seabed. It’s not the best environment for equipment to operate. With the heavy load of moving material, it cannot last for long periods, so it lasts about 18 months. The vessel then comes in, and we change it out,” Van Aswegen said.
Debmarine built two crawlers to allow one to operate while the other was refurbished. During refurbishment, equipment is replaced, the frame repainted, and structural components restored.
“We can do three to four voyages before we have to replace the whole frame. We operate in a harsh environment, so after three to four voyages, about three to four years, we need a new frame. We have tried to make this structure more robust to last longer, but time will tell,” Van Aswegen said.
At 370 tonnes, the new crawler is larger than its predecessor, which weighed 296 tonnes. Project manager David Shivute said it is now the biggest submersible tool in Debmarine’s marine diamond mining operations. He added that its weight is equivalent to 60 elephants.
Van Aswegen said the crawler requires a 3.4 MW power supply, equal to 38 hours of power.
He noted that the new model is expected to be 30% more durable, reducing the need to replace components at sea.
“The new crawler will be more efficient, making it run faster, produce more carats, and improve profitability. This is a significant improvement from the last crawler,” he said.
Shivute said the technology will also enable Debmarine to mine in more difficult areas.
