10 Days to Possible Refloating of Concordia Wreck

Installation of the last sponson, P1, on the port side of the wreck of the cruise ship Costa Concordia has been completed as planned this afternoon. Now, ahead of authorization from the Monitoring Observatory, technicians can start to test all the systems for the final refloating of the Concordia.

"Following installation of the last sponson, we can start the countdown to refloating and final departure of the wreck from Giglio Island," said Costa Crociere S.p.A. Group CEO Michael Thamm. "Now all our energies are focused on the successful conclusion of this unprecedented engineering challenge to respect a precise commitment: Remove the Concordia wreck as soon as possible, in compliance with the highest environmental and safety standards."

Thirty sponsons have been positioned on the two sides of Concordia. When the refloating operation begins, the sponsons will be gradually emptied of ballast water by means of a pneumatic system, thereby providing the necessary buoyancy to refloat the wreck. At the end of this operation the wreck will have a draft of approximately 18.5 meters (60.7 feet). The Concordia will then be towed from Giglio Island to Genoa for dismantling and recycling.
The last phases of the Concordia wreck removal project will be explained in detail in the next few days. Information about the progress of operations and details of upcoming media briefings will be posted on the project website:www.theparbucklingproject.com