PHOTO: The Costa Concordia will be refloated and towed to Genoa, Italy, in July. (Courtesy of The Parbuckling Project)
It's official: The Costa Concordia wreck will be towed to Genoa, Italy, for dismantling in about two weeks. The Italian government approved the plans on June 30.
"The cabinet's approval of the project for transportation of the Concordia to Genoa for dismantling and recycling means that achievement of the goal we set ourselves 2½ years ago - namely, the safe and definitive removal of the wreck from Giglio Island - is now well within sight," said Costa Crociere CEO Michael Thamm. "We are now just two weeks away from refloating the ship. We will supervise the final phase of the Concordia project with the same commitment and attention that we have put into this challenge since the very beginning, using the best expertise and technologies, in compliance with the highest environmental safety standards, and in full cooperation with the authorities."
The Costa Concordia capsized on Jan. 13, 2012, after striking a rock as it sailed near Giglio Island. Thirty-two people were killed.
Costa said more than 350 technicians are working around the clock to prepare the hull for refloating. Only two more sponsons - tanks that will help the vessel float - still need to be attached to the vessel to reach the total of 30 needed. Refloating is scheduled to start by mid-July and towing of the wreck is planned by the end of the month.
Once refloated, the wreck will be towed to the Port of Genoa Voltri under the direction of the Titan Micoperi consortium, which is in charge of the salvage operation. It will travel a distance of about 190 nautical miles at an average speed of 2 knots, taking an estimated four days.
"The window for the transportation falls statistically in the period characterized by the best sea and weather conditions for the region," Costa said in the statement. "Studies and analyses have confirmed the safety of the planned method of transportation. As has always been the case in all phases of the Concordia removal project, environmental protection is the top priority."
The ship will be escorted by vessels carrying specialized equipment and personnel, including a team of marine biology experts who will be ready to intervene should any problem arise.
The Concordia wreck will be dismantled in four phases expected to last 22 months. Costa said the project is "an extremely complex technical engineering feat - considered the biggest salvage ever attempted on a ship of its size - with the deployment of the finest international expertise, state-of-the-art technology and unprecedented financial resources. The priorities of the project were clear from the outset: respect for the environment, workplace safety and protection of the Giglio Island's socio-economic fabric."
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