[BITList] Removal of COSTA CONCORDIA

[M.j. Feltham]

Boskalis awarded contract for removal of the Concordia 
onboard the Dockwise Vanguard 
Dockwise, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Royal Boskalis 
Westminster N.V. 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.