Tanker added to South African registry

Renaming ceremony welcomes new acquisition to bunker market

SOUTH AFRICA: The 100.7m tanker, Uhambo, was officially welcomed as African Marine Solutions’ (AMSOL) 14^th vessel to join the South African ships registry this week at a ceremony held in the Port of Durban on Monday.

Speaking about their intentions within the tanker market, CEO Dan Ngakane told invited guests who had gathered on the quayside to witness the renaming and blessing of the vessel, that a commitment to finding solutions for their clients had been keen to the company’s growth and sustainability.

Although not revealing where the tanker will be stationed or the operations that she will undertake, Ngakane confirmed that the investment in the 13-year-old tanker was part of their strategy to acquire new assets and invest in training as well as transformation.

“Four years ago we set a strategic ambition to enter the tanker market; meeting the demand for flexibility in fuel logistics and transportation. We knew that to meet the high standards required of tanker operators, we would need to align standards, build tanker-endorsed seafarer capacity and invest in assets that would enable us to grow our business in this sector. We have remained true to that course since – and are a trusted service provider in in-port and offshore bunkering as well as ship-to-ship operations,” he said.

A crew of South Africans joined the vessel in United Arabic Emirates with the task of sailing her to her new home – a journey that included transiting the high-risk region off Somalia. Preparing the vessel for this, the crew under Captain John Williams, took precautions including the installation of razor wire and specialised vigilance training to ensure that they were well-equipped.  

Despite this, there was time to enjoy the customary Crossing the Equator Ceremony for crewmembers that were doing so for the first time and four candidates dutifully asked for King Neptune’s protection as they crossed the line.

The vessel received bunkers in Beira, Mozambique before completing the final leg into South African waters. Writing in the AMSOL internal newsletter, Captain Williams noted the crew’s excitement at finally reaching their destination.

Upon arriving in Durban in October, the ASK Progress underwent her name change to Uhambo during her planned drydocking at the Dormac Engineering shipyard for routine machinery maintenance and other works.

Noting some of the challenges faced during the process of acquiring the vessel, Ngakane said that three of the mobilisation crew had received awards for their leadership and impact in 2024 during the company’s recent Employee Awards Ceremony.  “The 100% South African team that brought this tanker home from the United Arab Emirates highlights AMSOL’s talent and is a true testament to the seafaring profession,” he said.

“It has indeed been a journey to get us to this point. We are pleased to have brought her on to the South African Ships Register under South African ownership – and her flying the South African flag is a personal source of pride for me; bringing to 14 the number of South African flagged vessels in our owned and managed fleet,” he added.

Addressing issues relating to the South African Flag in his keynote speech at the function, DDG for Maritime in the Department of Transport, Mthunzi Madyia, noted the loss of tonnage from the register as well as the unmet goals of seeing 20 vessels under the flag as ambitioned by Operation Phakisa.

“Some of our cadets fail to complete their qualifications due to the lack of training berths and sea-time and this means that dreams are deferred for many young people,” he said adding that seafarer development, training and job opportunities in the tanker-endorsed framework is “a step in the right direction towards sustainability, regional cooperation and ensuring global competitiveness”.

Also noting the establishment of the National Logistics Crisis Committee (NLCC), Madyia called on industry to work with government to ensure its success through the deployment of financial support and technical expertise into various operational areas.

“AMSOL, as a private sector business model is also expected to contribute to this cause and I believe this acquisition’s objective is to provide an essential talent pipeline for the development of the tanker market for South Africa and the region,” he said highlighting how it would enhance local capacity to transfer and deliver marine fuels.

Madyia also called on the industry to support the move towards green shipping with a response to build green ships in the future.

“The concept of green shipping is a transformative approach which aims to minimise the environmental impact of maritime operations by paving the way for a more sustainable future which prioritises the planet and its people – not just profit,” he added.

The DDG emphasised the government’s plans to develop a roadmap for the use of green marine fuels – a journey which has started with the training of officials in Green Hydrogen and its derivatives.

Officially welcoming the Uhambo to the country as fuel transport vessel, Madyia also noted the suite of legislation currently under consideration that will re-enforce South Africa’s commitment to address issues of oil pollution responsibly and proactively.

PHOTO: The AMSOL crew and officers alongside the newly renamed Uhambo in the Port of Durban. (Photo © Maritime Review Africa).

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