Dockwise, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Royal Boskalis
Westminster N.V. (Boskalis) has been awarded the contract to load and
transport the Concordia wreck from Isola del Giglio onboard the Dockwise Vanguard. The contract was awarded by Costa Crociere S.p.A.Following the successful parbuckling of the Concordia, and in
anticipation of the pending refloat, Dockwise and the client have been
in discussion to seek a safe solution to remove the Concordia wreck from Isola del Giglio in Italy. In a unique operation the Concordia can be
loaded as a whole onto the Dockwise Vanguard and safely transported to a location where she can be scrapped. The client has yet to make a
decision in agreement with the local authorities on the final
destination. Alternatives under review include scrapping the vessel in
Italy.As part of the contract, certain modifications will be made to the
Dockwise Vanguard to accommodate the loading of the Concordia in her
current state. The operation is planned to take place around mid-2014
and contract value of the work scope as described amounts to
approximately USD 30 million.The Dockwise Vanguard is the world’s largest semi-submersible ship
uniquely positioned to lift and transport extremely heavy cargoes in a
dry and safe manner. The ship was initially designed to transport
offshore oil and gas structures, but can also carry other vessels and
act as an offshore dry dock facility. The Dockwise Vanguard has an open
and flat stern and bow-less deck measuring 275 meters by 70 meters
allowing the vessel to transport cargo longer and wider than the deck
dimensions. When the ballast tanks are flooded, the ship deck submerges
below the surface, allowing her to handle deep draught 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 in 2012.“Boskalis views this project as strategically important
demonstrating the opportunities for combining maritime services and
assets across the breadth of the company. Furthermore, the use of the
Dockwise Vanguard for this extreme salvage operation shows the
versatility of the vessel. The recently announced transportation of a
FPSO, a recent successful dry docking operation and this salvage
transport contract award demonstrate the potential of the vessel,” said the company in a press release.
WORLD SHIPPING
10 October 2013 - 21:14
Costa Crociere Hires Dockwise Vanguard to Transport Concordia Wreck
Dockwise, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V. (Boskalis) has been awarded the contract to load and transport the Concordia wreck from Isola del Giglio onboard the Dockwise Vanguard
WORLD SHIPPING
10 October 2013 - 21:14
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