New German owners of S.A. Agulhas to spend USD55 million on conversion project
The former South African Government-owned polar research/cadet training ship S.A. Agulhas is to be converted into a modern polar expedition vessel for her new German owners (Source: SA Government)
The new German owners of the former South African (SA) Government-owned polar research vessel, tuned training ship, S.A. Agulhas, Hamburg-based J*S Maritime Partners, is to spend USD 55 million on converting the 46-year old vessel into a ship that will continue to support maritime research, but will also be made available for charter.
J*S Maritime Partners took delivery of the 1977-built ship in Cape Town on January 30th. The shipyard that will carry out the conversion has yet to be named.
The vessel’s new Hamburg-based owners are an official partner in the UN’s Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development programme, which seeks to identify, generate and use critical ocean knowledge to manage the vast waters sustainably.
Capt. Stefan Bülow, who founded J*S Maritime Partners in 2018 said: “We will start a large German-South African bilateral cooperation, the Sea Experience project, which will begin with a cadet training partnership programme and employment, and will be followed by other cooperations and support for the South African maritime cluster for marine, environmental and climate research, marine technology, research voyages, and sustainable tourism in South Africa.”
The 6,123gt icebreaker S.A. Agulhas became surplus to requirements when the new SA Agulhas II entered service in 2012. After more than 30 years of undertaking polar research voyages, the vessel then became a cadet training vessel, but was then laid-up because of the high cost of maintaining the ageing ship in service.
The vessel’s new German owners are committed to invest in a complete refurbishment of the vessel to prepare her for her new roles, that also include chartering her out for research missions and polar tourism.
The USD 55 million conversion will see S.A. Agulhas converted into a modern polar expedition vessel, with the scope of work including thruster repairs, hull repairs, blasting and repainting; ballast water tank repairs, as well as the upgrade of the vessel’s sewage treatment system and the refurbishing of cabins.
The vessel’s original two main engines (Mirrless Blackstone KMR6 units) will also be overhauled, with an eye to converting them to operation to methanol and green methanol at a later date.
