Date Set for Costa Concordia Wreck Removal

The cruise liner Costa Concordia is seen outside Giglio harbour February 26, 2014. REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi

Officials in Italy have announced the planned dates for the removal of the Costa Concordia shipwreck from Giglio, more than two years after the ship ran aground.

During a meeting in Florence on Monday, Maria Sargentini, president of the Observatory overseeing the salvage, said that the removal date is set for between July 18 and 20, at which point the hulk will be towed to Italy’s coast.

The new timetable pushes back the removal by nearly a month from the original estimate of June.

The announcement comes about one week after a horizontal starboard-side sponson, known as S13, was knocked lose. The sponson has since been removed and taken to a shipyard in Genoa for repairs. The installation of additional sponsons has since continued. The incident was briefly addressed during Monday’s meeting, with officials ensuring that it was an isolated event that is not to be repeated.

In addition to the removal timetable, officials also discussed efforts to monitor and prevent the discharge of residual fuel oil, particularly during the towing operation, as well as the treatment and recovery of water remaining in the hull.

The Costa Concordia ran aground January 13, 2012 along the small Mediterranean Island just off the coast of Tuscany, killing 32 people. The Captain, Francesco Schettino, is currently on trial for multiple charges of manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning ship.

The ship has been resting on an artificial seabed since the successful parbuckling in September 2013. The location for where the Costa Concordia will eventually be dismantled has not yet been determined.

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