Costa aims to have Concordia hull removal plan by end March

The companies are Donjon Marine, Fukada Salvage & Marine Works Co., Mammoet Salvage, Nippon Salvage Co., Resolve Marine Group, SMIT Salvage, Svitzer Salvage, T&T Marine Salvage, Titan Salvage and Tito Neri.

The project would entail the removal of the hull from its perch on a rocky shelf near Giglio, and Costa said it has formed a technical committee that will collaborate with the relevant authorities to create a plan for the work. The committee includes experts from Costa, Carnival Corp. & plc, Fincantieri, classification society RINA and sector experts, including academics.

Proposals by the salvagers are due to Costa by the beginning of March. The plans will be assessed jointly with the Civil Protection Scientific Committee and a selection is expected to be made by the end of March. Costa said the timeline presents a best-case scenario, and cautioned that given the complexity of the operation, there could be delays.

Meanwhile, SMIT Salvage remains on the scene of wreck, poised to pump out the fuel from Costa Concordia’s tanks as soon as weather permits, and has presented a plan to remove other materials and potential pollutants.