Research Vessel Timba resumes, set to enhance green economy
The rehabilitated Research Vessel (RV) Timba was recommissioned on Wednesday in Monkey Bay, Mangochi after 18 years since it stopped operations, raising hopes of enhanced research support on green economy
The vessel stopped operations in 2006 after the engine broke down.
Speaking during the recommissioning of the vessel at Malawi Shipping Company in Monkey Bay, Minister of Lands Deus Gumba touted the vessel as a milestone in the transportation industry.
He said the vessel will bring research support on green economy and enable government to conduct research on Lake Malawi.
aboard the RV Timba
Gumba said the vessel will also assist the Malawi Government in revenue generation as it will be open for leasing to partners interested in hydro-research activities.
He said: “As a country, we are struggling on revenue generation and this is one way of helping government to ensure that it has the much needed revenue.”
Gumba said foreign investors have already started hiring the vessel to do their research on Lake Malawi.
“The University of Syracuse of United States of America has hired the RV Timba to conduct their research in Mangochi, Karonga and Nkhata Bay.
“Malawi will be paid K1.6 million per day. This is a milestone and will bring awesome achievements,” he said.
Gumba said government bought two caterpillar engines and serviced the vessel with all the required technologies such that the Malawi Defence Force and other maritime departments will be getting services from the vessel.
Department of Surveys surveyor general Masida Mbano said the vessel has equipment that will be used, for instance, to measure depth of water bodies and search for resources beneath the water bodies such as oils and minerals, among others.
“The vessel produces charts or maps which are used for safe navigation on the water for all other ships such as Ilala,” he said.
Malawi started its hydrographic survey on Lake Malawi in the 1950s.
RV Timba was assembled in 1989 by the French and Malawi Government.
