Salvage contract awarded for Costa Concordia
Costa Crociere and the Costa Concordia Emergency Commissioner’s Office have announced that the tender for the removal of the ship from Giglio Island has been awarded to Titan Salvage in partnership with the Italian firm Micoperi. The work will begin in early May subject to final approval from the Italian authorities and is expected to take about 12 months. Titan Salvage is an American-owned specialist marine salvage and wreck removal company, part of the Crowley Group. Micoperi is an Italian marine contractor with a long history as a specialist in underwater construction and engineering. Costa Crociere S.p.A. chairman & CEO, Pier Luigi Foschi said, “We are very pleased to announce another important step toward salvaging the wreck from Giglio Island. As was the case with the removal of the fuel, we have sought to identify the best solution to safeguard the island and its marine environment and to protect its tourism. We would like also to thank Smit Salvage and Tito Neri for succeeding in defueling and caretaking operations.” Throughout the salvage operation, environmental protection will have top priority. Once the main work is complete, the sea bottom will be cleaned and marine flora replanted. The plan also includes measures to safeguard the island of Giglio’s tourism and wider economy. Salvage workers’ presence will not have any significant impact on the availability of hotel accommodation on the island during the summer season. The main operating base will be located on the mainland at nearby Civitavecchia, where equipment and materials will be stored, thereby avoiding any impact on Giglio’s port activities. Once floated, the wreck will be towed to an Italian port and dealt with in accordance with the requirements of the Italian authorities. The removal will be the final step of the salvage. Fuel removal was completed successfully March 24. Caretaking operations, which include cleaning up the seabed and removing debris caused by the incident, will continue until Titan Salvage and Micoperi commence operations. Go to http://www.costacruise.com for more.
