Genoa, July 24, 2014 - On Wednesday Jul 23 at 11 am the Concordia wreck left Isola del Giglio towed to its final destination, namely the Port of Genoa Voltri.
The Concordia is in the
middle of a convoy composed by 14 vessels. Two oceanic tugs at the ship’s bow are towing the hull. Another two auxiliary tugs are positioned aft. The convoy vessels carry personnel and equipments which will be supporting the whole voyage. From its departure from Giglio the convoy have to cover a total distance of about 200 nautical miles proceeding at an average speed of 2 knots and it is expected to reach Genoa Voltri area on next Sunday July 27.
Opening the convoy there is also a team of marine biologists and specialized marine mammals-watching technologies. In the event of any cetacean sightings, the speed of the convoy will be further reduced.
The operation is directed by Titan Micoperi, the salvage consortium who conducted the parbuckling and the refloating of the Concordia, and is carried out strictly in compliance with the laws and regulations and with the approval and supervision of the Italian Coast Guard.
The route which from Isola del Giglio to Genoa has been chosen by the Lead Tow Master is planned taking into account the general principles of maritime, human and environmental safety and taking into account the meteo-marine conditions.
As for the entire salvage operation, the Concordia wreck transportation is based on a thorough risk assessment to implement preventive measures and actions to respond to any possible emergency.
In addition to the safety, the environmental protection is a top priority. To reduce risks a sampling campaign was conducted on the water inside the wreck to determine its chemical and physical properties; the test results conducted by the relevant authorities confirmed that there are no critical issues.
In order to be ready to respond to any possible contingency, a dedicated plan has been drawn up with the authorities to provide craft, equipment and emergency response teams ready to intervene round the clock.
During the entire voyage the ship is constantly monitored with an high tech monitoring system with precision sensors for a real-time assessment of the behavior of the hull.
A quick-response team of scuba divers specialized in salvage operations, and the vessels and equipment will be available round the clock throughout the voyage to carry out inspections and any type of intervention that may be needed, above or below sea level.
A medical emergency response team, comprising a doctor and paramedic will be traveling with the convoy, ready to provide assistance. On one support vessel part of the convoy there are also 2 hyperbaric chambers in case of need.
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