Kleven to construct one of the world's largest mining vessels

The vessel, designed by Norwegian design company Marin Teknikk would be ordered by De Beers Marine Namibia. “At this stage it is an MoU, but both parties have every intention of turning this into a firm agreement during the first few months of 2018,” said Kleven chief executive officer Mr Stale Rasmussen. In June 2016, Kleven delivered the mining vessel Nujoma to De Beers. “With unrivalled sample quality and fuel consumption 30% lower than expected, Nujoma has been a success story for us from the start,” said Mr Mike Curtis, head of projects in De Beers Marine. “The realisation of a mining vessel is the natural next step for us.” The second vessel under the MoU would be substantially larger, with a length of 177m and a breadth of 27m, compared with the first ship’ s length of 113m and 22m breadth. Marin Teknikk AS says the new vessel will feature an extensive package of equipment, developed by De Beers over a long period, to find diamonds laying in a 4 to 5m-deep layer of seabed mud. With accommodation for 109 people, the vessel is designed in accordance with the requirements for the class notation ECO (Clean Design). Strong focus has been given to low fuel consumption, which reduces pollution emissions. The vessel will be equipped with diesel-electric, frequency-controlled propulsion, highly efficient azimuth thrusters, 4P mooring system and a dynamic positioning system.