Italian Agency Receives Costa Concordia Removal Plan
Titan Salvage and Micoperi, the two companies hired to remove the cruise ship, presented their engineering plan to the agency supervising the removal.
The Costa Concordia, a giant cruise ship grounded on an Italian island since Jan. 13, may finally be moving again. The two companies hired to remove the ship, the U.S. company Titan Salvage and the Italian company Micoperi, announced they presented their engineering and design plan Aug. 13 to Osservatorio and the Italian Civil Protection Department.
Osservatorio is the "entity responsible for supervising and monitoring the Costa Concordia’s wreck removal operations," according to Titan's Aug. 14 news release.
"The presentation confirmed the previously presented and shared phases of the plan," it said. "Activities in recent months have focused on the testing of various technologies required to successfully execute the operation and the increasing need to prevent or contain any potential impacts to the surrounding environment. To date, all suppliers of the materials and work required have been secured."
It said the seabed has been mapped, and the marine environment -– sea mammals, turbidity, sediments, etc. -- and the land environment –- air quality, noise, vibrations, etc. -– have been evaluated. In addition, all supplies have been ordered.
The removal plan has a new timeline, with refloating of the wreck to be completed by spring 2013. "The time schedule is dependent in part upon subcontractor deliverables and schedules, and will preserve the upcoming summer season," the release stated.