* Norwegian Getaway Delivered
Meyer Werft delivered Norwegian Getaway to Norwegian Cruise Line this morning at Bremerhaven, after a building period of just 15 months, a feat of which Meyer is extremely proud. More
* Costa Concordia Today
Monday is the second anniversary of the sinking of Costa Concordia and this morning Costa and the salvager held a press conference in Rome to update the status of the project and the procedures that will be employed in the coming months until the ship is finally removed this summer. More/Video of the ship today
The complete articles appeared in the e-mail edition of Cruise News Daily delivered to our subscribers
Friday, January 10, 2014
Costa Concordia As It Looks Today
On the eve of the second anniversary of the sinking of Costa Concordia, the salvagers held a press conference this morning in Rome to discuss the progress that is being made toward removing the ship next summer from Giglio Island.
In addition to the video and photos below, other background information was distributed:
The Removal Project
Status of Operations
Port of Destination
Environment
Economic Impact
One of the most interesting parts of the presentation was the updated look at the ship since it has been righted.
The most fascinating views came from video which was shot remotely by drones as they flew around the outside of the vessel.
The complete article appeared in the January 10 edition of Cruise News Daily.
Photos and video copyright Costa Crociere and Cruise News Daily. May not be copied or used without permission. All rights reserved.
In addition to the video and photos below, other background information was distributed:
The Removal Project
Status of Operations
Port of Destination
Environment
Economic Impact
One of the most interesting parts of the presentation was the updated look at the ship since it has been righted.
The most fascinating views came from video which was shot remotely by drones as they flew around the outside of the vessel.
 | |
| Costa Concordia's port side. Eleven sponsons are attached, but under the waterline. |
 |
| Costa Concordia's port side looking forward. Note the crane that has been built in the center of the ship. |
 |
| Costa Concordia's starboard side looking aft. Note the damage where the ship was resting on this side. |
 |
| The crane was built in the center of the ship to assist with attaching the sponsons to the sides of the ship. |
 |
| A workforce of up to 500 people has been working around the clock on the ship since the day after Costa Concordia sank. |
 |
| Rendering of Costa Concordia when sponsons have been attached to both sides and it is ready to be refloated. |
The complete article appeared in the January 10 edition of Cruise News Daily.
Photos and video copyright Costa Crociere and Cruise News Daily. May not be copied or used without permission. All rights reserved.
Costa Concordia: The Removal Project
Last Friday (January 10, 2014) Costa Crociere and Titan-Micoperi held a press conference in Rome to update the status of the removal of the wreck of Costa Concordia. This is part of the information distributed there.
Index of other information distributed
______________________
The removal of the wreck of the Concordia is an extremely complex technical engineering feat – considered the most daunting 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 Isola del Giglio’s socio-economic fabric.
Cost considerations played no part whatsoever in the decision-making process. The world’s best cutting-edge technical solutions were chosen even though this led to a significant increase in outlay. According to current estimates, the total cost of the salvage exceeds 600 million euros. The size of this investment gives a good idea of the scale of the project, although not one cent of public money is being spent.
Activity at the site has continued nonstop: about 500 salvage operators worked round the clock in shifts, 24/7, during the preparations for parbuckling; around 200 technicians will be involved in the work leading up to the refloating operation.
PRELIMINARY OPERATIONS
Defueling
The first step was defueling, also known as “debunkering”, which was vital in terms of protection of the marine ecosystem. For this operation Costa Crociere commissioned the world’s leading salvage experts Smit Salvage BV, who in turn worked with the talian firm Tito Neri srl.
Preliminary work began at the end of January 2012 while the actual pumping out of the oil began on February 12, 2012 and ended on March 24, 2012. A total of 2042.5 m3 of fuel was removed from the ship.
This extremely complex and delicate operation was completed successfully without any discharge into the sea.
Collection and disposal of waste and sewage
On January 14, 2012 the recovery of material floating on the surface began, conducted initially by the emergency services and subsequently by Costa Crociere. On March 13, 2012 the operation to remove the sewage ended, Smit Salvage BV and Tito Neri having recovered a total of 240 m3.
At the end of the debunkering, on 25 March 25, 2012, the recovery of material deposited on the sea bed started: in total 24 tons.
WRECK REMOVAL PROJECT
On April 21, 2012 Costa Crociere announced that, after reviewing the bids of the six finalists, it had awarded the tender for the contract to remove the ship in one piece to the international marine salvage consortium Titan-Micoperi Srl, a joint venture between Titan Salvage, a U.S. company owned by Crowley Maritime Group and a world leader in the recovery of wrecks, and Micoperi, an Italian company specializing in engineering and installation of offshore structures and undersea pipelines.
The winning recovery project was chosen based on stringent criteria, 90% of which referred to environmental protection, safety and the socio-economic fabric of the island community. That cost was not a key factor is underlined by the fact that the successful bid was actually the most expensive of the six submitted.
The wreck removal project includes contributions from some of the world’s top technical engineering experts, notably leading international naval and offshore engineering, architecture and design firms such as Ceccarelli Yacht Design, Studio Tecon of Milan, Spline of Venice, Overdick of Hamburg and the Dutch underwater solutions provider Disa International. There have also been contributions from consultants such as RINA (Italian Shipping Register), D’Appolonia and Rome’s Università La Sapienza. All the work involved is being performed by industry leaders like the Italian companies Fincantieri, Cimolai, Rosetti, Trevi, Fagioli and Nuova Olmec, Gas & Heat and the British enterprises Furgo Seacore and FoundOcean. The companies charged with underwater drilling and engineering are global players in their segment and have worked for large oil and energy corporations.
Work on the removal of the wreck from Isola del Giglio began at the end of May 2012 following approval by the Service Conference convened by the Italian Government Emergency Commissioner Franco Gabrielli.
The salvage plan can be divided into 5 phases.
1. Stabilization
In November 2012 the anchoring and stabilization of the wreck were completed, thus preventing the ship from slipping or falling off the steep spurs of rock on which it was perched at either end and enabling the subsequent work to be carried out safely, even in adverse sea and weather conditions.
Stabilization was carried out by securing four anchor blocks to the sea bottom between the center of the wreck and the coast. Later, seven more anchor blocks and 11 towers were installed, for use during rotation of the ship into an upright position, the so-called “parbuckling,"
On top of each tower are two strand jacks with a hydraulic mechanism for pulling cables, individually controlled via computer. Each strand jack operated a cable connected to a steel chain (each link of which weighs 205 kg) going underneath the wreck so that it could be attached to the offshore side of ship. This system was used to offset the forces bearing on the hull during rotation and guarantee that it could be turned to a vertical position.
2. False sea bed and sponsons on offshore side
The second phase, completed in summer 2013, was one of the most complex. The preparation of the false sea bed on which the ship came to rest once it had rotated required a great deal of effort, much of which was contributed by a team of around 120 divers.
The false sea bottom consists of grout bags (containing a total of 12,000 m3 of cement) and six steel platforms (three large ones [35 x 40 meters] and three smaller ones [15 x 5 meters]).
The grout bags were used to fill the gap because, as already mentioned, the ship was lying on two underwater reefs with a valley in between. The grout bags have eyelets for easy removal during clean-up operations. The subsea platforms provide a stable base for the upright vessel.
The platforms are supported by pillars attached to the granite sea bed; these were put in place by drilling (21 holes 2 meters in diameter and an average of 9 meters deep) using a closed-circuit system so as not to leave any debris in the sea.
During this phase, 11 large tanks – known as “sponsons” – were welded to the side of the hull above water. They were used during the parbuckling to provide leverage and will subsequently provide buoyancy needed for refloating. These large metal boxes, built by Fincantieri, are of considerable size: 10.5 m x 11.5 m with height of 21.8 m or 33 meters, respectively the equivalent of a 7-storey or an 11-storey building. In addition, two “blister tanks” were attached to the bow of the wreck; again built by Fincantieri, these massive tanks provided around 4500 tons of buoyancy, stabilizing the whole bow and acting rather like a neck brace.
Another four sponsons are still to be installed on the port side, making a total of 15 in all on that side, plus 15 on the starboard side.
3. Parbuckling
The actual parbuckling itself – the uprighting of the ship – began on September 16 and was completed the following day at the end of an unprecedented operation lasting 19 hours. The strand jacks were used to pull the steel cables attached at one end to the nine central sponsons and at the other to the underwater platforms, thereby applying a load of over 6,500 tonnes so as to rotate the vessel 65° back into an upright position.
Since it was raised, the wreck has been resting on the false sea bed at a depth of about 30 meters.
After the parbuckling, in order to guarantee additional stability for the wreck also in the unlikely event of extremely adverse weather conditions during the winter season, so-called “winterization” measures were implemented with systems designed to further improve the stability of the hull on the platforms. More specifically, these measures comprised the positioning of 28 tubular steel braces connecting the sponsons on the wreck to the underwater platforms on the offshore side, the positioning of additional grout bags on the inshore side and the installation of an additional holdback system for the bow.
4. Survey of the wreck and installation of 15 sponsons on the inshore side and the last four on the offshore side
Following the parbuckling, the wreck was surveyed to assess its overall condition, particularly the starboard side, which was previously submerged and inaccessible.
Following this assessment, the engineers determined the structural repairs required ahead of the installation of the 15 sponsons on the starboard (inshore) side. This meant it was easier to make a reliable forecast as to when the ship would be refloated and removed from the island.
The installation of the sponsons is planned to start in April 2014.
The 15 sponsons to be fitted on the starboard side have already been built and are being prepared for installation in the Titan Micoperi Terminal in Livorno. Another four sponsons are still to be installed on the port side, making a total of 15 on this side as well.
5. Refloating
Initially, the 30 sponsons on either side of the vessel will be filled with water. A pneumatic system will be used to empty the water gradually, thus providing sufficient buoyancy for flotation.
It is a delicate operation and engineers estimate that it might take several days.
Upon completion of this process, a portion of the hull of about 18.5 meters will remain submerged. After refloating, the wreck will be ready for transportation to its final port of destination for dismantling and recycling.
Index of other information distributed
______________________
The removal of the wreck of the Concordia is an extremely complex technical engineering feat – considered the most daunting 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 Isola del Giglio’s socio-economic fabric.
Cost considerations played no part whatsoever in the decision-making process. The world’s best cutting-edge technical solutions were chosen even though this led to a significant increase in outlay. According to current estimates, the total cost of the salvage exceeds 600 million euros. The size of this investment gives a good idea of the scale of the project, although not one cent of public money is being spent.
Activity at the site has continued nonstop: about 500 salvage operators worked round the clock in shifts, 24/7, during the preparations for parbuckling; around 200 technicians will be involved in the work leading up to the refloating operation.
PRELIMINARY OPERATIONS
Defueling
The first step was defueling, also known as “debunkering”, which was vital in terms of protection of the marine ecosystem. For this operation Costa Crociere commissioned the world’s leading salvage experts Smit Salvage BV, who in turn worked with the talian firm Tito Neri srl.
Preliminary work began at the end of January 2012 while the actual pumping out of the oil began on February 12, 2012 and ended on March 24, 2012. A total of 2042.5 m3 of fuel was removed from the ship.
This extremely complex and delicate operation was completed successfully without any discharge into the sea.
Collection and disposal of waste and sewage
On January 14, 2012 the recovery of material floating on the surface began, conducted initially by the emergency services and subsequently by Costa Crociere. On March 13, 2012 the operation to remove the sewage ended, Smit Salvage BV and Tito Neri having recovered a total of 240 m3.
At the end of the debunkering, on 25 March 25, 2012, the recovery of material deposited on the sea bed started: in total 24 tons.
WRECK REMOVAL PROJECT
On April 21, 2012 Costa Crociere announced that, after reviewing the bids of the six finalists, it had awarded the tender for the contract to remove the ship in one piece to the international marine salvage consortium Titan-Micoperi Srl, a joint venture between Titan Salvage, a U.S. company owned by Crowley Maritime Group and a world leader in the recovery of wrecks, and Micoperi, an Italian company specializing in engineering and installation of offshore structures and undersea pipelines.
The winning recovery project was chosen based on stringent criteria, 90% of which referred to environmental protection, safety and the socio-economic fabric of the island community. That cost was not a key factor is underlined by the fact that the successful bid was actually the most expensive of the six submitted.
The wreck removal project includes contributions from some of the world’s top technical engineering experts, notably leading international naval and offshore engineering, architecture and design firms such as Ceccarelli Yacht Design, Studio Tecon of Milan, Spline of Venice, Overdick of Hamburg and the Dutch underwater solutions provider Disa International. There have also been contributions from consultants such as RINA (Italian Shipping Register), D’Appolonia and Rome’s Università La Sapienza. All the work involved is being performed by industry leaders like the Italian companies Fincantieri, Cimolai, Rosetti, Trevi, Fagioli and Nuova Olmec, Gas & Heat and the British enterprises Furgo Seacore and FoundOcean. The companies charged with underwater drilling and engineering are global players in their segment and have worked for large oil and energy corporations.
Work on the removal of the wreck from Isola del Giglio began at the end of May 2012 following approval by the Service Conference convened by the Italian Government Emergency Commissioner Franco Gabrielli.
The salvage plan can be divided into 5 phases.
1. Stabilization
In November 2012 the anchoring and stabilization of the wreck were completed, thus preventing the ship from slipping or falling off the steep spurs of rock on which it was perched at either end and enabling the subsequent work to be carried out safely, even in adverse sea and weather conditions.
Stabilization was carried out by securing four anchor blocks to the sea bottom between the center of the wreck and the coast. Later, seven more anchor blocks and 11 towers were installed, for use during rotation of the ship into an upright position, the so-called “parbuckling,"
On top of each tower are two strand jacks with a hydraulic mechanism for pulling cables, individually controlled via computer. Each strand jack operated a cable connected to a steel chain (each link of which weighs 205 kg) going underneath the wreck so that it could be attached to the offshore side of ship. This system was used to offset the forces bearing on the hull during rotation and guarantee that it could be turned to a vertical position.
2. False sea bed and sponsons on offshore side
The second phase, completed in summer 2013, was one of the most complex. The preparation of the false sea bed on which the ship came to rest once it had rotated required a great deal of effort, much of which was contributed by a team of around 120 divers.
The false sea bottom consists of grout bags (containing a total of 12,000 m3 of cement) and six steel platforms (three large ones [35 x 40 meters] and three smaller ones [15 x 5 meters]).
The grout bags were used to fill the gap because, as already mentioned, the ship was lying on two underwater reefs with a valley in between. The grout bags have eyelets for easy removal during clean-up operations. The subsea platforms provide a stable base for the upright vessel.
The platforms are supported by pillars attached to the granite sea bed; these were put in place by drilling (21 holes 2 meters in diameter and an average of 9 meters deep) using a closed-circuit system so as not to leave any debris in the sea.
During this phase, 11 large tanks – known as “sponsons” – were welded to the side of the hull above water. They were used during the parbuckling to provide leverage and will subsequently provide buoyancy needed for refloating. These large metal boxes, built by Fincantieri, are of considerable size: 10.5 m x 11.5 m with height of 21.8 m or 33 meters, respectively the equivalent of a 7-storey or an 11-storey building. In addition, two “blister tanks” were attached to the bow of the wreck; again built by Fincantieri, these massive tanks provided around 4500 tons of buoyancy, stabilizing the whole bow and acting rather like a neck brace.
Another four sponsons are still to be installed on the port side, making a total of 15 in all on that side, plus 15 on the starboard side.
3. Parbuckling
The actual parbuckling itself – the uprighting of the ship – began on September 16 and was completed the following day at the end of an unprecedented operation lasting 19 hours. The strand jacks were used to pull the steel cables attached at one end to the nine central sponsons and at the other to the underwater platforms, thereby applying a load of over 6,500 tonnes so as to rotate the vessel 65° back into an upright position.
Since it was raised, the wreck has been resting on the false sea bed at a depth of about 30 meters.
After the parbuckling, in order to guarantee additional stability for the wreck also in the unlikely event of extremely adverse weather conditions during the winter season, so-called “winterization” measures were implemented with systems designed to further improve the stability of the hull on the platforms. More specifically, these measures comprised the positioning of 28 tubular steel braces connecting the sponsons on the wreck to the underwater platforms on the offshore side, the positioning of additional grout bags on the inshore side and the installation of an additional holdback system for the bow.
4. Survey of the wreck and installation of 15 sponsons on the inshore side and the last four on the offshore side
Following the parbuckling, the wreck was surveyed to assess its overall condition, particularly the starboard side, which was previously submerged and inaccessible.
Following this assessment, the engineers determined the structural repairs required ahead of the installation of the 15 sponsons on the starboard (inshore) side. This meant it was easier to make a reliable forecast as to when the ship would be refloated and removed from the island.
The installation of the sponsons is planned to start in April 2014.
The 15 sponsons to be fitted on the starboard side have already been built and are being prepared for installation in the Titan Micoperi Terminal in Livorno. Another four sponsons are still to be installed on the port side, making a total of 15 on this side as well.
5. Refloating
Initially, the 30 sponsons on either side of the vessel will be filled with water. A pneumatic system will be used to empty the water gradually, thus providing sufficient buoyancy for flotation.
It is a delicate operation and engineers estimate that it might take several days.
Upon completion of this process, a portion of the hull of about 18.5 meters will remain submerged. After refloating, the wreck will be ready for transportation to its final port of destination for dismantling and recycling.
Costa Concordia: Status of Operations
Last Friday (January 10, 2014) Costa Crociere and Titan-Micoperi held
a press conference in Rome to update the status of the removal of the
wreck of Costa Concordia. This is part of the information distributed
there.
Index of other information distributed
______________________
CURRENT STATUS OF OPERATIONS
At Giglio Island
Winterization measures, that is operations to guarantee additional stability for the wreck for the winter season, were completed in December 2013 and comprised:
The wreck is constantly monitored by sensors transmitting data 24/7 to check in real time for any movement. The last minor movements were recorded in the 15 days following the parbuckling – a sign that the wreck was settling in its current position on the false seabed. Since then, no significant movement has been detected.
The wreck is also monitored 24/7 for security reasons by a video surveillance system with 41 cameras checking key areas.
In Livorno
In Titan Micoperi Terminal in Livorno operations are in progress to complete the outfitting of the 15 sponsons to be installed on the starboard side, and the remaining 4 to be installed on the port side to combine with the 11 that were already installed for the parbuckling, making a total of 30 needed for the refloating phase.
The 19 sponsons will be integrated with the necessary strand-jacks and ballast control systems and transported to Giglio Island in a vertical position to allow immediate installation and time optimization.
The installation of the sponsons is planned to start in April 2014.
TECHNICAL OPERATIONS TO BE COMPLETED BEFORE REFLOATING
After the successful parbuckling that took place on September 17, 2013, the next objective is now the refloating of the Concordia so that it will be ready for transportation.
The next operations to be completed to prepare for refloating are:
1. Reconditioning of the starboard side (which reemerged following the parbuckling) to create the right conditions for the positioning of the 15 sponsons on this side. Specifically, these operations aim at creating a flat and even surface in
correspondence with the damaged areas (before parbuckling the wreck had been lying on two spurs of rocks) to allow the sponsons to be properly aligned through the positioning of steel plates.
2. Installation of the 15 starboard sponsons and the remaining 4 on the port side. The sponsons are already built and are being prepared in the Fincantieri shipyard in Genoa and the Titan Micoperi Terminal in Livorno for transportation to Giglio Island. They are being integrated with the necessary strand-jacks and the electrical/pneumatic systems (ballast control systems) and will be transported to Giglio Island in a vertical position to allow immediate installation and time optimization.
The 15 sponsons will be installed on the starboard side of the ship in a symmetrical position to the sponsons fitted on the port side.
The first two starboard sponsons will be tied with hooks to the two blister tanks already positioned on the bow, while the others will be maintained in position with steel chains (56) and cables (36) that pass under the keel of the ship. Each sponson will be connected to each cable/chain with a strand jack (92 in total) positioned on the sponson to keep it in a vertical position.
The remaining 4 sponsons to be installed on the port side will be positioned using hooks that have already been fitted.
These operations are weather sensitive and require favorable sea conditions; for this reason, they have been planned for spring 2014: installation of the 19 sponsons is planned to start by April 2014.
REFLOATING
Initially, the 30 sponsons will be full of water. A pneumatic system will be used to empty the water gradually from the sponsons on both sides of the wreck, thus providing sufficient buoyancy for flotation. On completion of the emptying process, a portion of the hull of about 18.5 meters will remain submerged.
The refloating will begin by emptying the sponsons of water gradually to make sure the ship’s movements are homogeneous throughout its length. This will be done using a software system with sensors installed on both sides of the wreck providing information to assess the behavior of the ship and suggest the appropriate variations in ballast control.
Refloating will be completed when the maximum possible quantity of water has been discharged from the sponsons and the ship is upright and as parallel to sea level as possible.
It is a delicate operation and engineers estimate that the it might take up to a week for the process to be completed.
TRANSPORTATION OF THE CONCORDIA TO PORT OF DESTINATION
After refloating, the wreck will be ready for transportation, based on the authorizations required by the law, to its final port of destination, which is yet to be decided. The wreck is regarded as waste and therefore, according to Italian law, the Tuscan Regional Administration is in charge of authorizing its transportation.
Various possibilities are being considered for transportation of the wreck:
a) Currently, traditional towing is considered the first option.
b) With a US$ 30 million contract, Costa Crociere has also optioned the world’s largest semisubmergible ship, the Dockwise Vanguard, as an additional alternative. The Dockwise Vanguard offers two possible offloading methods for the Concordia: “float off”, which means that the wreck would be offloaded into the sea afloat, or “skid off”, whereby the Concordia would be transferred from the Dockwise Vanguard directly onto a pier or an adjacent quayside area. A decision on the offloading method will be made in due time, should this mode of transportation be required.
When delivered afloat, the wreck (including the attached sponsons) is expected to have the following overall dimensions:
Length Overall (LOA): 289.6 meters
Extreme Breadth including sponsons: Approximately 62.5 meters
Maximum Draft: 18.5 meters
Weight Approximately 75,000 tons
Index of other information distributed
______________________
CURRENT STATUS OF OPERATIONS
At Giglio Island
Winterization measures, that is operations to guarantee additional stability for the wreck for the winter season, were completed in December 2013 and comprised:
- Positioning of 28 tubular steel braces connecting the sponsons on the wreck to underwater platforms on the offshore side
- Positioning of grout bags on the inshore side
- Installation of an additional holdback system for the bow.
The wreck is constantly monitored by sensors transmitting data 24/7 to check in real time for any movement. The last minor movements were recorded in the 15 days following the parbuckling – a sign that the wreck was settling in its current position on the false seabed. Since then, no significant movement has been detected.
The wreck is also monitored 24/7 for security reasons by a video surveillance system with 41 cameras checking key areas.
In Livorno
In Titan Micoperi Terminal in Livorno operations are in progress to complete the outfitting of the 15 sponsons to be installed on the starboard side, and the remaining 4 to be installed on the port side to combine with the 11 that were already installed for the parbuckling, making a total of 30 needed for the refloating phase.
The 19 sponsons will be integrated with the necessary strand-jacks and ballast control systems and transported to Giglio Island in a vertical position to allow immediate installation and time optimization.
The installation of the sponsons is planned to start in April 2014.
TECHNICAL OPERATIONS TO BE COMPLETED BEFORE REFLOATING
After the successful parbuckling that took place on September 17, 2013, the next objective is now the refloating of the Concordia so that it will be ready for transportation.
The next operations to be completed to prepare for refloating are:
1. Reconditioning of the starboard side (which reemerged following the parbuckling) to create the right conditions for the positioning of the 15 sponsons on this side. Specifically, these operations aim at creating a flat and even surface in
correspondence with the damaged areas (before parbuckling the wreck had been lying on two spurs of rocks) to allow the sponsons to be properly aligned through the positioning of steel plates.
2. Installation of the 15 starboard sponsons and the remaining 4 on the port side. The sponsons are already built and are being prepared in the Fincantieri shipyard in Genoa and the Titan Micoperi Terminal in Livorno for transportation to Giglio Island. They are being integrated with the necessary strand-jacks and the electrical/pneumatic systems (ballast control systems) and will be transported to Giglio Island in a vertical position to allow immediate installation and time optimization.
The 15 sponsons will be installed on the starboard side of the ship in a symmetrical position to the sponsons fitted on the port side.
The first two starboard sponsons will be tied with hooks to the two blister tanks already positioned on the bow, while the others will be maintained in position with steel chains (56) and cables (36) that pass under the keel of the ship. Each sponson will be connected to each cable/chain with a strand jack (92 in total) positioned on the sponson to keep it in a vertical position.
The remaining 4 sponsons to be installed on the port side will be positioned using hooks that have already been fitted.
These operations are weather sensitive and require favorable sea conditions; for this reason, they have been planned for spring 2014: installation of the 19 sponsons is planned to start by April 2014.
REFLOATING
Initially, the 30 sponsons will be full of water. A pneumatic system will be used to empty the water gradually from the sponsons on both sides of the wreck, thus providing sufficient buoyancy for flotation. On completion of the emptying process, a portion of the hull of about 18.5 meters will remain submerged.
The refloating will begin by emptying the sponsons of water gradually to make sure the ship’s movements are homogeneous throughout its length. This will be done using a software system with sensors installed on both sides of the wreck providing information to assess the behavior of the ship and suggest the appropriate variations in ballast control.
Refloating will be completed when the maximum possible quantity of water has been discharged from the sponsons and the ship is upright and as parallel to sea level as possible.
It is a delicate operation and engineers estimate that the it might take up to a week for the process to be completed.
TRANSPORTATION OF THE CONCORDIA TO PORT OF DESTINATION
After refloating, the wreck will be ready for transportation, based on the authorizations required by the law, to its final port of destination, which is yet to be decided. The wreck is regarded as waste and therefore, according to Italian law, the Tuscan Regional Administration is in charge of authorizing its transportation.
Various possibilities are being considered for transportation of the wreck:
a) Currently, traditional towing is considered the first option.
b) With a US$ 30 million contract, Costa Crociere has also optioned the world’s largest semisubmergible ship, the Dockwise Vanguard, as an additional alternative. The Dockwise Vanguard offers two possible offloading methods for the Concordia: “float off”, which means that the wreck would be offloaded into the sea afloat, or “skid off”, whereby the Concordia would be transferred from the Dockwise Vanguard directly onto a pier or an adjacent quayside area. A decision on the offloading method will be made in due time, should this mode of transportation be required.
When delivered afloat, the wreck (including the attached sponsons) is expected to have the following overall dimensions:
Length Overall (LOA): 289.6 meters
Extreme Breadth including sponsons: Approximately 62.5 meters
Maximum Draft: 18.5 meters
Weight Approximately 75,000 tons
Costa Concordia: Port of Destination
Last Friday (January 10, 2014) Costa Crociere and Titan-Micoperi held
a press conference in Rome to update the status of the removal of the
wreck of Costa Concordia. This is part of the information distributed
there.
Index of other information distributed
______________________
SELECTION OF PORT OF DESTINATION
The port that will accommodate the Concordia will need to have specific characteristics suitable for a wreck of this size (for example a 20 meter water depth in the port) and the necessary facilities for dismantling and recycling, in accordance with current national and international regulations and the highest environmental and safety standards.
As with the selection of the companies responsible for the Concordia removal project, Costa Crociere has adopted a transparent process to select the organization/companies and facilities for the dismantling of the Concordia wreck once it is removed from Giglio Island, in agreement with the Italian authorities.
A process has been arranged to choose the facility to dismantle and recycle the wreck using a method that offers the best solution in terms of certainty of outcome, environmental and workplace safety standards.
The process is being handled by technical consultants, London Offshore Consultants (“LOC”), on behalf of Costa Crociere and its Underwriters.
The process is divided into 3 steps:
1. Expression of interest, completed in November 2013
2. Invitation to tender, in progress
3. Final selection, expected to be completed by end of February-early March 2014
Step 1: Expression of interest
An expression of interest document was distributed on November 13, 2013 to over 30 companies and organizations considered potentially capable of dismantling and recycling the wreck. Each respondent was required to indicate its proposed locations.
After preliminary screening of the replies, companies/organizations representing different countries such as Italy, France, Norway, UK and Turkey were considered suitable and were therefore invited to take part in the next step: submission of bids through a formal Invitation to Tender process.
Step 2: Invitation to Tender
The Invitation to Tender is the second step in the process of selecting the company or
organization to be awarded the contract to carry out the dismantling and recycling of the
Concordia wreck.
On December 17, 2013, on behalf of Costa Crociere and its Underwriters, London Offshore Consultants issued an Invitation to Tender to some of the companies or organizations who expressed an interest in the dismantling and recycling of the Concordia wreck.
The aim of this Invitation to Tender is to provide a framework within which Costa can assess the tenderer’s capability to dismantle and recycle the wreck and the method based on 3 key criteria:
1. compliance with national and international regulations
2. certainty of outcome
3. protection of the environment and workplace safety.
The Invitation to Tender was developed in accordance with national and international regulations and EU waste regulations in force, and inspired by the provisions of the newly approved EU regulation on ship dismantling, which recently entered into force.
Each tenderer is therefore required to demonstrate, with full supporting information, that the facilities that it proposes to use for the dismantling and recycling operations have all the necessary authorizations and licenses required by international or national laws relating specifically to the dismantling or recycling of ships or by general waste legislation.
Each tenderer is also required to demonstrate that the facilities that it proposes to use for the dismantling and recycling operations implement management systems, procedures and techniques which do not pose health risks to the workers concerned, nor environmental risks.
Each tenderer is also required to present details on commercial terms of the proposal.
Step 3: Final selection
The respondents’ offers will be analyzed in order to make the final selection and award the contract for dismantling and recycling, according to the terms and conditions included in the Invitation to Tender.
This process is expected to be completed by the end of February-early March 2014.
Index of other information distributed
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SELECTION OF PORT OF DESTINATION
The port that will accommodate the Concordia will need to have specific characteristics suitable for a wreck of this size (for example a 20 meter water depth in the port) and the necessary facilities for dismantling and recycling, in accordance with current national and international regulations and the highest environmental and safety standards.
As with the selection of the companies responsible for the Concordia removal project, Costa Crociere has adopted a transparent process to select the organization/companies and facilities for the dismantling of the Concordia wreck once it is removed from Giglio Island, in agreement with the Italian authorities.
A process has been arranged to choose the facility to dismantle and recycle the wreck using a method that offers the best solution in terms of certainty of outcome, environmental and workplace safety standards.
The process is being handled by technical consultants, London Offshore Consultants (“LOC”), on behalf of Costa Crociere and its Underwriters.
The process is divided into 3 steps:
1. Expression of interest, completed in November 2013
2. Invitation to tender, in progress
3. Final selection, expected to be completed by end of February-early March 2014
Step 1: Expression of interest
An expression of interest document was distributed on November 13, 2013 to over 30 companies and organizations considered potentially capable of dismantling and recycling the wreck. Each respondent was required to indicate its proposed locations.
After preliminary screening of the replies, companies/organizations representing different countries such as Italy, France, Norway, UK and Turkey were considered suitable and were therefore invited to take part in the next step: submission of bids through a formal Invitation to Tender process.
Step 2: Invitation to Tender
The Invitation to Tender is the second step in the process of selecting the company or
organization to be awarded the contract to carry out the dismantling and recycling of the
Concordia wreck.
On December 17, 2013, on behalf of Costa Crociere and its Underwriters, London Offshore Consultants issued an Invitation to Tender to some of the companies or organizations who expressed an interest in the dismantling and recycling of the Concordia wreck.
The aim of this Invitation to Tender is to provide a framework within which Costa can assess the tenderer’s capability to dismantle and recycle the wreck and the method based on 3 key criteria:
1. compliance with national and international regulations
2. certainty of outcome
3. protection of the environment and workplace safety.
The Invitation to Tender was developed in accordance with national and international regulations and EU waste regulations in force, and inspired by the provisions of the newly approved EU regulation on ship dismantling, which recently entered into force.
Each tenderer is therefore required to demonstrate, with full supporting information, that the facilities that it proposes to use for the dismantling and recycling operations have all the necessary authorizations and licenses required by international or national laws relating specifically to the dismantling or recycling of ships or by general waste legislation.
Each tenderer is also required to demonstrate that the facilities that it proposes to use for the dismantling and recycling operations implement management systems, procedures and techniques which do not pose health risks to the workers concerned, nor environmental risks.
Each tenderer is also required to present details on commercial terms of the proposal.
Step 3: Final selection
The respondents’ offers will be analyzed in order to make the final selection and award the contract for dismantling and recycling, according to the terms and conditions included in the Invitation to Tender.
This process is expected to be completed by the end of February-early March 2014.
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