Wärtsilä, a technology group, and Debmarine Namibia have signed a Technical Management Agreement (TMA) to offer advanced technical assistance to the newest vessel in the Debmarine Namibia fleet, the 'Benguela Gem.'
This agreement marks Wärtsilä's first Lifecycle Agreement in Southern Africa and was added to their order book in December 2022.
The vessel, which is reported to be the most advanced diamond recovery vessel in the world, operates using six Wärtsilä 32 engines.
The TMA, which was signed for three years includes maintenance support for the engines, as well as digital solutions for optimizing performance and preventing unscheduled downtime.
Wärtsilä's Dynamic Maintenance Planning solution will be used to optimize the time between overhauls and schedule maintenance, while their Expert Insight predictive maintenance solution will be used to prevent potential issues before they arise. Optimal performance can be achieved by constantly monitoring the engines' operational data.
The diamond recovery vessels of Debmarine Namibia fleet are mainly equipped with Wärtsilä engines.
The Benguela Gem commenced commercial operations off the Namibian coast in March 2022 and the agreement between Wärtsilä and Debmarine Namibia is effective from the beginning of 2023.