Costa Cruises Seeks Bids for Removal of Sunken Concordia

Costa Cruises is seeking bids from salvage companies to begin the process of removing the half-submerged Costa Concordia from the water near the Italian island of Giglio. In a statement, Costa said it was working “with the utmost speed” on a plan to remove the ship and that it is “a top priority to protect the environment of Giglio and the island’s tourism industry.”

The company has formed a technical committee with representatives from Costa Cruises, parent company Carnival Corp. & plc, Fincantieri shipyard, Italian registry RINA and sector experts, including academics, who will collaborate with authorities to create a plan. Costa invited 10 companies to present proposals for the removal of the hull.

Proposals must be made by early March. The plans will be assessed and a selection made by the end of March. Costa said its contractor, Smit Salvage, has a plan to remove the 2,300 tons of fuel in the Concordia, as well as other materials and potential pollutants, as soon as weather conditions permit.