Wontanara: SimFer Christens its First Iron Ore Transshipment Vessel

SimFer, the joint venture between the Government of Guinea, Rio Tinto, and the CIOH consortium, led by Chinalco, celebrated the christening ceremony of its first iron ore transshipment vessel (TSV), the Wontanara.

The vessel was officially christened during a ceremony held in China, attended by representatives from Rio Tinto SimFer, Chinalco, SPSM/COSCO, Canada Steamship Lines (CSL), Chengxi Shipbuilding, and project partners.

Following its christening, the Wontanara will set sail for Guinea, where it will become the first of five specialized TSV vessels that will support SimFer's maritime logistics operations at Morebaya Port.

Each specially designed Transshipment Vessel (TSV) will transport over 40,000 tons of iron ore from the port to offshore vessels, thereby supporting the project in its commissioning phase until it reaches full production capacity. The TSVs are equipped with specialized machinery that allows them to self-unload at a speed considered the fastest in the world: over 12,000 tons per hour.

SimFer CEO, Chris Aitchison, stated, "This vessel represents years of engineering, collaboration, and commitment from teams in Guinea and China. The choice of the name Wontanara, meaning 'we are together', perfectly reflects the spirit of this project and the cooperation that has made this milestone possible. I would like to thank our SimFer teams and all partners who have made this possible, including CSL and Chengxi Shipbuilding, for their commitment and dedication."

"It is a moment of immense pride to see Guinean talent represented here today, including our future Guinean seafarers and the vessel's godmother, Nene Hawa Baldé. Néné Hawa is a valuable member of our port team who has demonstrated great dedication in everything she does, promoting and supporting others and truly representing the key qualities we need in a godmother. She embodies the values of responsibility, care, and solidarity that Wontanara represents," he added.

The Wontanara's first crew will include some of SimFer's first Guinean trainees, trained in China by the Quanzhou Ocean Institute, through a program supported by Cosco Shipping, SimFer's maritime partner.