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Dockwise Vanguard to load and transport stricken ship
Royal Boskalis subsidiary Dockwise has been awarded a contract to load and transport the wreck of the stricken Costa Concordia vessel from Isola del Giglio, Italy.
The unique operation will see the Concordai loaded as a whole onto the Dockwise Vanguard, where she will be towed away to be scrapped to as yet confirmed location.
At an estimated cost of US$30 million, the operation is expected to begin toward the middle of next year.
As part of the contract, awarded by Costa Crociere, Dockwise will modify the Vanguard to accommodate the Concordia in its current state.
The Dockwise Vanguard is the world's largest semi-submersible ship uniquely positioned to lift and transport extremely heavy cargoes. Once the Dockwise Vanguard is semi-submersed, the floating Concordia will be brought in position above the deck and as the ballast tanks are emptied, the entire ship including the Concordia is brought above the water line allowing her to transport the cargo in a safe and swift manner.
Boskalis, through its wholly-owned subsidiary SMIT Salvage, also provided emergency response services in the first months following the Concordia accident. SMIT Salvage, together with its local partner Tito Neri, successfully removed the bunker fuel from the ship and acted as caretaker from mid-January through to mid-March following the incident, which claimed the lives of 32 passengers and crew members, in 2012.
