LEEA in Namibia
LEEA’s Member Engagement Services representative for Africa, India and mainland Europe, Steve Bowron recently made an inaugural visit to Namibia.
Until my trip, Namibia was a country with no existing LEEA membership. The trip was to carry out membership assessments and audits at a trio of major players in the region’s marine industry. The companies are all also involved in manufacture (of slings), supply and testing and examinations of lifting equipment.
I am pleased to say that all three have been recommended and accepted membership. By way of an introduction here is a little biography on each of those companies:
African Maritime Services PTY Ltd (AMS). Based in Walvis Bay, Namibia, AMS Lifting & Towing Systems (Pty) Ltd is well placed to service the offshore oil & gas industries of the Southern African region, as well as the general lifting industry ashore. The company’s principal suppliers are the Bridon-Bekaert Group and the Crosby Group – both of which are represented by AMS on an exclusive basis in Namibia.
The main goal is to supply the local and foreign onshore and offshore industry with fully traceable lifting, towing and mooring equipment.
In addition to carrying significant stocks of steel wire rope and hardware, the company stocks a range of webbing slings, fibre ropes and other rigging equipment. As a further service to the regional industry, a range of marine class approved valves and flanges are stocked in Namibia by the company’s technical division.
This division also sources and supplies difficult to find marine technical equipment to vessels in the region.
Apart from offshore mining vessel, rig support vessels and oilrig customers, AMS supplies steel wire ropes and fittings to shore-based cranes and the mining industry. Buoyage systems and fendering are also regularly supplied.
The company’s LEEA-trained personnel can advise, specify, supply and manufacture certified lifting, towing & mooring equipment, made up in its own factory where it has a 1250 ton mechanical swage press for manufacturing of wire rope slings and Towing Pennants and 200 ton load test bed installed. All personnel have been trained by Crosby Europe for socketing of wire ropes. Socketing can also be done onboard vessels. The company has large diameter wire rope handling equipment, including a 40 ton spooling unit, and is in the final stages of adding a 70 ton spooling unit to assist with mooring and towing wire rope inspections and change outs.
Benguella Enterprises (Pty) Ltd was established in 1969 in Walvis Bay, Namibia, as a marine equipment supplier and service provider to the local fishing industry. Today the company is a proud role player in the supply of equipment and services to the Namibian fishing industry and the Port of Walvis Bay, providing for the growing international shipping and marine energy support market.
The company has been certified to be ISO 9001:2015 compliant. Services are conducted in accordance with manufacturers’ requirements and the International Maritime Organisation’s regulations.
Benguella employs qualified and experienced personnel. Slings and other rope applications are manufactured to customer’s requirements at its facility, which holds Namibian approval as an Approved Inspection Authority (AIA) for testing and certification of Lifting Equipment. And it has recently become a development member of LEEA.
KWINT Offshore Services Namibia (Pty) Ltd
KWINT Offshore Services Namibia (Pty) Ltd is part of the KWINT Group Netherlands, a well-established company in the Netherlands, founded in 1883, with a broad background in supplies and services of lifting, rigging and repairs to the on- and offshore industry.
KWINT Offshore Services is responsible for all enquiries for rigging-supplies-testing and inspection throughout Africa. The main focus is on the supplies and services of lifting-pulling-lashing gear, technical constructions, services (rigging, repairs, spooling, socketing and testing), inspections and training. The company’s main market potential is in the mining, oil and gas, maritime transport, fishing and construction industries.
The company currently reside in rented premises on the Ben Amathila Avenue at the Tunacor Fisheries Ltd Area, Walvis Bay. The managerial team, headed by Jerry Bakx, are very keen on employing local workforce.
