Black-empowered shipping company Marine Bulk Carriers (MBC) and its partners have placed a R300-million order for a new anchor-handling tug and supply vessel, purpose-built for South African conditions.

The company states that the order is in response to the South African government’s call to invest in and rebuild the local merchant marine.

“This vessel acquisition marks the start of MBC’s dream to expand our business activities from vessel management into vessel ownership and supports the call made by Transport Minister Ben Martins and South African Maritime Safety Authority CEO Commander Tsietsi Mokhele for South African companies to start investing in vessels for the local market,” MBC chair- person Lester Peteni says.

He states that MBC plans to register and flag the sophisticated 12 000 hp anchor-handling tug and supply vessel in South Africa. The 78 m vessel, which is being built by Guangxin Shipbuilding, of Guangdon, China, has been designed to meet the requirements of the local offshore industry in terms of power, deck space and winch capacity.

“The demand for anchor-handling tugs around Southern Africa, in particular, South Africa, Namibia and Mozambique, is increasing. National oil company PetroSA currently operates six foreign-owned tugs off Mossel Bay and the growth in the market is something MBC hopes to exploit through local ownership and crewing,” Peteni states.

MBC sister company Marine Crew Services will man the vessel with local officers and ratings, while also providing training berths for cadets and ratings.

MBC directors Robert Knutzen and Jan Rabie believe the move into vessel owner- ship represents a huge leap of faith and investment in the South African maritime industry.

“MBC has taken the South African government, which has expressed its commitment to rebuilding the local merchant marine, at its word and it is now a matter of seeing whether visions can become a reality and whether South African customers are willing to support local owners and operators,” Rabie says.

He points out, however, that the realisation of necessary South African maritime legislation, flagging and support from the local customer base by the time the vessel is delivered in 2015 will be key to the success of the project.