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Unique Cruise Solutions The news you need to know |
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Cruise News for the Corporate Travel Professional |
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Costa Selects Company to Refloat, Tow Away Concordia Wreck |
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Costa Cruises has selected an American company to refloat and tow
away the wrecked and partially submerged Concordia, a process expected to take a
year. Titan Salvage will oversee the salvage operation in partnership with the
Italian firm Micoperi. The work will begin in early May, subject to final
approval from the Italian authorities. Once floated, the wreck will be towed to an Italian port and dealt with in accordance with the requirements of the Italian authorities, the company said in a statement. Costa said environmental protection will have top priority. Once the main work is complete, the sea bottom will be cleaned and marine flora replanted. The plan is designed to safeguard tourism and the economy on the nearby island of Giglio. The main operating base will be on the mainland at Civitavecchia, where equipment and materials will be stored, in an effort to avoid any impact on Giglio’s upcoming tourism season. “Salvage workers’ presence will not have any significant impact on the availability of hotel accommodation on the island during the summer season,” Costa said. Titan is a marine salvage and wreck removal company, part of Crowley Maritime Corp., which is headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla. Micoperi is a well-known Italian marine contractor with a long history as a specialist in underwater construction and engineering. “We are very pleased to announce another important step toward salvaging the wreck from Giglio Island,” said Costa Chairman and CEO Pier Luigi Foschi. “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.” The salvage plan was selected by an evaluation team with specialists from Costa, Carnival Corp. & plc, London Offshore Consultants, and the Standard P&I Club. Six bids submitted by the March 3 deadline were of a very high standard, but the evaluation team decided that the Titan Salvage/Micoperi proposal best fulfilled the main objectives set out in the tender specifications: removal of the wreck in one piece, minimal risk, minimal environmental impact, protection of Giglio’s economy and tourism industry, and maximum safety of the work. The removal will be the final step of the salvage. Fuel removal was completed successfully March 24. Caretaking operations, which include cleaning the seabed and removing debris caused by the incident, will continue until Titan Salvage and Micoperi commence operations. |
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Worldwide Travel & Cruise Assoc., Inc. 150 S. University Dr. Ste E, Plantation, FL 33324 - USA Tel: +1 954 452 8800 Fax: +1 954 252 3945 EMail: sales@cruiseco.com |
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