Costa Concordia Satellite Image

The salvage operation which will re-float and then remove the Costa Concordia from the Isola Del Giglo in Italy will be the biggest and costliest in history, the ship’s owners Costa Cruises revealed today.

The £190m project will begin in the next few days but will take over a year to complete.

Stage 1 – Flotation tanks to be attached to the side of the hull

An Italian-American consortium Titan-Micoperi will carry out the salvage operation on the ship which is currently lying on rocks at an angle of 80 degrees.

Stage 2 – Chains will prevent the wreck sliding during the lifting operation

A 40m platform will first be built underneath the ship and the 160ft gash in the hull repaired.

Stage 3 – Platform will support the ship during operation

Once all parts are in place, two cranes will pull the Concordia upright before it is re-floated and taken away.

Stage 4 – The Concordia is ready to be pulled upright

Once the wreck is removed the platform will be dismantled, the sea bed cleaned, and marine flora replanted.

Stage 5 – The ship is pulled upright and will rest on the platform ready to be floated

The operation will be co-ordinated on the Italian mainland in order to reduce the impact on normal port operations.

cruiseastute.com says …

“The scale of this operation is unprecedented and is additionally complicated by the fact that the area is environmentally sensitive meaning that the ship can’t be cut up.”