Concordia Removal Team Explains Refloating Phase to the Public

The Commissioner for the Concordia Emergency Franco Gabrielli, the coordinator of the Concordia Removal Project Franco Porcellacchia, and the CFO of Costa Crociere Beniamino Maltese, with the presence of the Giglio Island Mayor Sergio Ortelli, held a meeting with the public on June 26th at Giglio Island to update on the status of operations and explain the refloating phase of Concordia wreck.

According to the project team, the first of the four last port side sponsons (P14) is now being installed.

Once the sponson installation phase is completed, technicians will begin to test the systems and then proceed with the final phase of the project: refloating the Concordia by mid Julyso as to tow it away.

The refloating operation can be divided in four phases:

Phase 1: partial refloating and movement of the wreck.
On the first day the wreck will be refloated for about 2 meters and towed about 30 meters to the east. This phase will last approximately 6 hours, during which navigation will be interdicted. At the end of this phase the wreck will be stabilized and kept into position by tug boats.

Phase 2: connection and tensioning of the last 4 chains and 7 cables and definitive positioning of some of the starboard sponsons. This phase will last about 2 days.

Phase 3: Refloating
Water will be pushed out the sponsons step by step, one deck at a time, from deck 6 to deck 3 when the wreck will reach its final refloating position.

Phase 4: Final manouvres and departure.
The wreck will be connected to tug boats, and after the last checks, manouvres to depart will begin. In this phase, port traffic will be suspended for about 4 hours to allow operations to take place in total security.

At that point the wreck, and all the other vessels in the convoy, will depart from the island.