Costa Concordia Wreck Removal Alternative Proposal

Costa Concordia wreck

Costa Concordia Wreck Removal Alternative Proposal

I think the idea of moving the wreck of Costa Concordia to upright position on a newly erected sub-sea platform before floating is not the best solution. It is time-consuming and materials-consuming and it is by far more expensive. And definitely it will be impossible to keep it upright during the towing phase.

It would have been better to float and tow it in its tilted position because keeping a damaged ship upright after shifting and distorting its center of gravity and after its bottom cavity was destroyed is clearly huge task.

I suggest a much easier and cheaper approach, as follows:
1. Make many small light weight tanks
2. Sink equal numbers of these tanks on both sides along the length of the wreck
3. Tie each tank with at least three tanks on the opposite side of the wreck with steel cables passing underneath the wreck
4. Tighten the mesh of steel cables to bring the opposite tanks as close as possible
5. Start pumping the water out of the air-tight tanks simultaneously to make them float and lift the wreck
6. Add more connected tanks as much as needed on both sides of the wreck to raise the load substantially
7. While it is afloat and still on its tilted position it is possible to tow the wreck away to a ship dismantling yard

The current operation i as follows:

1- The tieback chains prevent the wreck from sliding

2- Meanwhile fabrication and then installation of sub-sea platform to support the ship

3- Install the flotation tanks on the port side by welding to framework which was previously attacked to the hull

4- Pulling machines are connected to pulling points on the subsea platform

5- With flotation tanks and pullers in place, we can begin to roll the ship upright

6- The TitanMicoperi plan for the salvage of the Costa Concordia

7- resting on new platform

8- attaching floating tanks

9- floating the wreck

10- towing