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Costa Concordia is about to arrive in the port of Genoa for scrapping after a two-year salvage operation.
The wrecked cruise ship’s removal was one of the biggest ever maritime salvage operations.
Costa Concordia struck a reef off the Italian island of Giglio in January 2012 and capsized, killing 32 people.
Captain Francesco Schettino has denied charges of multiple manslaughter and abandoning ship, which could see him jailed for up to 20 years.
Italian PM Matteo Renzi is expected in Genoa in the afternoon to see the end of the complex docking procedure, which is expected to take several hours.
Costa Concordia is about to arrive in the port of Genoa for scrapping after a two-year salvage operation
“The operation to recover the Concordia was not easy. Italy carried it out, the Italy that, when it sets out to, is capable of doing anything, even of surprising us,” Matteo Renzi said.
Antonio Benvenuti, the head of Genoa’s harbor workers’ union, told AP that there was no “precise schedule” for each stage of dealing with the wreck.
Tests will be carried out first to monitor for potential pollution problems, Antonio Benvenuti said, before the first stage of the operation would begin, reducing the weight of the ship in order to lift it.
The Costa Concordia was re-floated nine days ago and was kept above the surface by giant buoyancy chambers. More than a dozen vessels helped to tow the ship after it was pulled away from Giglio on Wednesday.
The wreck was hauled upright in September last year but was still partially submerged, resting on six steel platforms.
Investigators are still looking for the body of Indian waiter Russel Rebello, whose body is the only one not to have been found.
The Costa Concordia’s owners, Costa Crociere, estimate the operation to remove the wreck from the reef and tow it for scrapping will cost 1.5 billion euros ($2 billion) in total.
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The wrecked Costa Concordia cruise ship is being towed on its final journey to the port of Genoa for scrapping.
Its removal is one of the biggest ever maritime salvage operations.
Costa Concordia struck a reef off the Italian island of Giglio in January 2012 and capsized, killing 32 people.
It was re-floated nine days ago and is being kept above the surface by giant buoyancy chambers. Over a dozen vessels will help to tow the ship.
The wrecked Costa Concordia cruise ship is being towed on its final journey to the port of Genoa for scrapping (photo Getty Images)
The wreck was hauled upright in September last year but was still partially submerged, resting on six steel platforms.
The cruise ship is being towed to Genoa at two knots, almost at walking pace, with an escort of more than a dozen tug boats.
The journey, which is expected to take four days, began shortly before 09:00 local time.
Senior salvage master Nick Sloane said early on Wednesday that everything was going according to plan.
However, French ecology minister Segolene Royal has said she will monitor the ship’s movement from Corsica. Residents on the island fear that any oil leak from the cruise ship could cause significant environmental damage.
The Concordia is set to sail 15 miles from Corsica and close to the islands of Elba and Capri before its expected arrival in Genoa late on Saturday.
Investigators are still looking for the body of Indian waiter Russel Rebello, whose body is the only one not to have been found.
The Costa Concordia’s owners, Costa Crociere, estimate the operation to remove the wreck from the reef and tow it for scrapping will cost 1.5 billion euros ($2 billion) in total.
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Costa Concordia has been successfully raised from the under-sea platform it has been resting on for the past year, salvage workers say.
The wrecked cruise ship – the target of one of the biggest maritime salvage operations in history – is now floating about 3ft off the platform.
In all, the refloating operation is expected to take six or seven days.
The cruise liner will then be towed to its home port, Genoa, where it will be scrapped.
Costa Concordia struck a reef off the Italian island of Giglio in January 2012 and capsized, killing 32 people.
Costa Concordia has been successfully raised from the under-sea platform it has been resting on for the past year
Workers are slowly lifting the vessel by pumping air into tanks attached to the ship. The wreck was hauled upright in September but was still partially submerged, resting on six steel platforms.
Salvage workers cheered with delight as they returned to Giglio’s port.
“The ship is upright and is not listing. This is extremely positive,” the engineer in charge of the salvage, Franco Porcellacchia, told a news conference.
A search for the remains of Indian waiter Russel Rebello, whose body was not recovered from the wreck, will be carried out after the vessel is moved.
The Costa Concordia’s owners, Costa Crociere, estimate the operation to remove the wreck from the reef and tow it for scrapping will cost 1.5 billion euros ($2 billion) in total.
An engineer with Costa Crociere described the salvage efforts as “unprecedented”.
“As with anything being done for the first time, there are risks. But we are confident,” Franco Porcellacchia said.
Hundreds of divers and engineers have been involved in operations to salvage the Concordia, which is twice the size of the Titanic.
Towing the ship to Genoa – about 200 nautical miles away – is due to begin on July 21 and take about five days.
“The operation began well but it will be completed only when we have finished the transport to Genoa,” Italian Environment Minister Gian Luca Galletti told reporters on Monday.
Costa Concordia’s captain Francesco Schettino is on trial for manslaughter and abandoning ship, charges he denies.
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The wrecked Costa Concordia is being raised in one of the biggest maritime salvage operations in history.
Workers are slowly lifting the vessel by pumping air into tanks attached to the ship. The refloating operation is expected to take six or seven days.
The wreck will then be towed to its home port, Genoa, where it will be scrapped.
Costa Concordia struck a reef off the Italian island of Giglio in January 2012 and capsized, killing 32 people.
The ship was hauled upright in September but is still partially submerged, resting on six steel platforms.
The wrecked Costa Concordia is being raised in one of the biggest maritime salvage operations in history
“It’s a very complex operation,” Franco Gabrielli, the head of the civil protection agency overseeing the salvage, told reporters.
“The first phase of the operation will be the most dangerous because the vessel will be detached from the platforms.”
Franco Gabrielli added that a search for the remains of Indian waiter Russel Rebello, whose body was not recovered from the wreck, would be carried out after the vessel was moved.
An engineer with Costa Crociere, the cruise operator, described the salvage efforts as “unprecedented”.
“As with anything being done for the first time, there are risks. But we are confident,” Franco Porcellacchia said.
Hundreds of divers and engineers have been involved in operations to salvage the Costa Concordia, which is twice the size of the Titanic.
Local residents have said they are glad the wreckage will be removed.
Costa Concordia’s captain, Francesco Schettino, is on trial for manslaughter and abandoning ship, charges he denies.
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Captain Francesco Schettino has returned to the wreck of Costa Concordia cruise ship for the first time as part of his manslaughter trial.
Costa Concordia hit a reef near the island of Giglio in January 2012 and capsized, with the loss of 32 lives.
Francesco Schettino was taken to the wreck on board a small boat, two days after travelling back to Giglio.
He denies the charges of manslaughter and abandoning ship, which could see him jailed for up to 20 years.
The captain arrived on the island off the Tuscan coast on Tuesday and is said to have wept when he saw the wreck from a ferry taking him to Giglio.
Francesco Schettino attended a health-and-safety briefing at a hotel on Thursday morning to prepare him for the short boat trip out to the wreck, on which he was accompanied by a group of court-appointed experts.
He was taken out to the wreck on a small boat and was then seen standing on the ship itself.
Francesco Schettino was being allowed on to the ship “as a defendant, not a consultant”, said Judge Giovanni Puliatti.
The 290m-long vessel was righted in September 2013 in one of the largest, most complex salvage operations ever, but remains stranded after its ill-fated journey.
Francesco Schettino has been accused of leaving the luxury liner before the 4,229 people on board the ship were taken off.
Captain Francesco Schettino has returned to the wreck of Costa Concordia cruise ship for the first time as part of his manslaughter trial
“They want to show that I am weak, just like two years ago. It’s not true. I want to show I’m a gentleman, not a coward,” Italian media quoted him as saying.
He lambasted the media “frenzy” surrounding his return to vessel, describing those who accused him of abandoning the ship of not understanding “a bloody thing”.
“There is a frenzy that is making me nervous,” Francesco Schettino told journalists and cameramen who surrounded him.
“You have to respect civility.”
Correspondents say that he grew increasingly angry on the dockside after the visit, frequently gesticulating as he nervously paced around.
Francesco Schettino has already accepted some degree of responsibility, asking for forgiveness in a television interview last year as he talked of those who died.
But he denies abandoning the ship after it hit a reef near the island.
The captain maintains he managed to steer the stricken vessel closer to shore so it did not sink in deep water where hundreds might have drowned.
Francesco Schettino’s lawyer Domenico Pepe said the captain’s former employer, Costa Crociere, had shifted the blame towards him.
“It is very, very difficult because Schettino does not have the economic resources of Costa,” he said. The firm is believed to be the biggest cruise operator in Europe,
“Schettino is confronting the whole world on his own.”
An Italian court convicted five others of manslaughter in July 2013.
They had all successfully entered plea bargains, whereas Francesco Schettino’s request for a plea bargain was denied by the prosecution.
The complex operation to salvage the Costa Concordia took 18 hours and followed months of stabilization and preparation work by a team of 500 engineers and divers.
Ports in the UK, Italy,France, Turkey and China are now bidding for the lucrative contract to dismantle it.
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Francesco Schettino, the captain of the Costa Concordia cruise ship, is due to visit to the wreck on Thursday.
It will be Francesco Schettino’s first time back on the ship since it hit a reef near the island of Giglio in January 2012 and capsized, killing 32 people.
The visit is part of an investigation at Francesco Schettino’s trial, where he is accused of manslaughter and abandoning ship. He denies the charges.
If found guilty, Francesco Schettino could face up to 20 years in prison.
He arrived back on Giglio, off the Tuscany coast, on Tuesday, and was reported to have wept when he first saw the stranded ship.
The 290m-long vessel was righted in September 2013 in one of the largest, most complex salvage operations ever, but remains stranded.
Capt Francesco Schettino will board the ship along with inspectors on Thursday, but will not be allowed to interfere with their investigation.
Costa Concordia’s Captain Francesco Schettino will revisit ship on Thursday
He would be allowed onto the ship “as a defendant, not a consultant”, said Judge Giovanni Puliatti.
The captain has been accused of leaving the luxury liner before all 4,229 people on board had been evacuated.
Francesco Schettino has already accepted some degree of responsibility, asking for forgiveness in a television interview last year as he talked of those who died.
But he denies abandoning the ship after it hit a reef near the island.
Francesco Schettino maintains he managed to steer the stricken vessel closer to shore so it did not sink in deep water where hundreds might have drowned.
An Italian court convicted five others of manslaughter in July 2013.
They had all successfully entered plea bargains, whereas Francesco Schettino’s request for a plea bargain was denied by the prosecution.
The complex operation to salvage the Costa Concordia took 18 hours and followed months of stabilization and preparation work by a team of 500 engineers and divers.
Ports in Italy, Britain, France, Turkey and China are now bidding for the lucrative contract to dismantle it.
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Engineers have succeeded in setting the cruise ship Costa Concordia upright, 20 months after it ran aground off the island of Giglio in Italy.
They said that the unprecedented salvage effort “reached degree zero [vertical], which was our target”.
In the operation that took all of Monday and most of the night, they used cables and metal boxes filled with water to roll the ship onto a platform.
The Costa Concordia capsized in January 2012, killing 32 people.
The bodies of two of the victims of the disaster, by the island of Giglio, have never been found. There are hopes that they may be located during the operation.
The ship was declared completely upright shortly after 04:00 local time (02:00 GMT) on Tuesday.
Franco Gabrielli, the head of Italy’s Civil Protection Authority, said the vessel was now sitting on a platform built on the sea bed.
“A perfect operation, I must say,” said Franco Porcellacchia, leader of the technical team for Costa Cruise, the owner of the ship.
He added that no environmental spill was detected so far.
Engineers have succeeded in setting the cruise ship Costa Concordia upright
“I think the whole team is proud of what they achieved because a lot of people didn’t think it could be done,” said salvage master Nick Sloane – but he added “it’s not over yet”.
As daylight broke, the now-upright, brown hulk of the ship was visible – its hull muddy and crushed from 20 months spent submerged on its side.
Booms and nets were put in place before the operation started – to combat any pollution threat in what is a marine national park.
The 114,000-gross tonnage ship – twice as heavy as the Titanic – was on Monday raised from rocks on which it had been lying and roll up onto her keel.
More than 50 enormous chains and winches were used to break the ship away from the reef – the process known as parbuckling.
During the marathon operation, the ship could be seen slowly emerging from the water.
The engineers had originally planned to complete the operation by Monday evening, but it had to be delayed by three hours because of a storm.
The procedure was carried out very slowly to prevent further damage to the hull, which spent months partially submerged in 50ft of water and fully exposed to the elements.
Officials now plan to fully inspect the vessel and begin to prepare the next stage – the effort to repair and refloat it and eventually tow it away to be destroyed.
Engineers have never tried to lift such a huge ship – over 951 feet long – before.
Five people have been convicted of manslaughter over the disaster. Costa Concordia Captain Francesco Schettino is currently on trial accused of manslaughter and abandoning ship.
Giglio mayor Sergio Ortelli earlier said that the removal of the Costa Concordia would bring an end to “a huge problem that we have in our port and that we want to solve as soon as we can”.
“Islanders can’t wait to see the back of it,” he said.
The small island’s economy depends hugely on tourism and the presence of the wreck has discouraged visitors.
Costa Concordia salvage has so far cost more than 600 million euros ($800 million) and is expected to cost much more before the operation is complete.
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An attempt to pull the shipwrecked Costa Concordia upright – one of the largest and most daunting salvage operations ever undertaken – is under way.
The operation was delayed for three hours because of an overnight storm, but began at 09:00 local time.
Righting the ship is expected to take up to 12 hours.
Engineers have never tried to lift such a huge ship so close to land. Thirty-two people died when it hit rocks.
The bodies of two of the dead, a passenger and a crew member, have never been recovered and may be found during the operation.
The Italian Civil Protection Authority said the sea and weather conditions had mostly been right for the attempt.
The storm overnight on Sunday delayed the positioning of a barge carrying a remote control room close to the shipwreck.
From that room, engineers will work using pulleys and counterweights to move the Concordia from the steep underwater incline it is resting on.
Sergio Girotto, an engineer working on the project, told reporters on Monday the operation was going ahead as planned: “Everything is going according to plan, we are following the plan to sequence… There is no problem whatsoever.”
He added that after the operation had been going for a couple of hours, “we should be able to see something with the naked eye”.
Costa Concordia raising is one of the largest and most daunting salvage operations ever undertaken
The incident happened off the Tuscan island of Giglio in January 2012.
The vessel has been lying on its side ever since.
Salvage workers are attaching giant metal chains and cables to the ship, which weighs more than 114,000 tonnes and is roughly the length of three football fields.
Five people have already been convicted of manslaughter over the disaster, and the ship’s captain, Francesco Schettino, is currently on trial accused of manslaughter and abandoning ship.
Officials say that they still need to make preparations for the salvage operation which they were planning to do on Sunday night before the storm.
The salvage operation had been due to begin at 06:00 on Monday.
“Due to heavy storms tonight, the operation has been put back by two hours,” to 08:00 civil protection chief Franco Gabrieli said.
Everything about the project is on a colossal scale.
More than 50 enormous chains and winches will be used to roll the ship – twice as heavy as the Titanic – up onto her keel.
By the end of Monday it should be sitting on a specially prepared underwater platform of steel and concrete.
Only after the ship is back up on her keel will it be possible to inspect it fully and begin to plan the next stage – the effort to repair and re-float it – and eventually tow it away to be destroyed.
The head of the operation, Nick Sloane, told AFP news agency that it was now or never for the Costa Concordia, because the hull was gradually weakening and might not survive another winter.
Engineers will try to roll the ship up using cables and the weight of water contained in huge metal boxes welded to the ship’s sides – a process called parbuckling.
This procedure must be done very slowly to prevent further damage to the hull, which has spent more than 18 months partially submerged in 50ft of water and fully exposed to the elements.
If the operation goes wrong, environmentalists warn that toxic substances could leak out into the sea. But booms and nets are in place to try to catch anything that emerges from the wreck.
For the people of Giglio, the salvage operation will be an important moment – and a special prayer was said during Sunday Mass.
Giglio mayor Sergio Ortelli said that the removal of the ship would bring an end to “a huge problem that we have in our port and that we want to solve as soon as we can”.
“Islanders can’t wait to see the back of it,” he said.
The small island’s economy depends hugely on tourism and the presence of the wreck has discouraged visitors.
Costa Concordia salvage project has so far cost more than 600 million euros ($800 million) and could cost a lot more by the time the operation is complete.
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Costa Concordia salvage will go ahead on Monday, Italian officials have confirmed.
The Civil Protection agency said the sea and weather conditions were right for the salvage attempt.
Engineers have never tried to move such a huge ship so close to land.
Thirty-two people died when the cruise ship hit rocks off the Tuscan island of Giglio in January 2012. It has been lying on its side ever since.
Five people have already been convicted of manslaughter over the disaster, and the ship’s captain, Francesco Schettino, is currently on trial accused of manslaughter and abandoning ship.
The salvage operation is due to begin at 06:00 on Monday, and it is being described as one of the largest and most daunting ever attempted.
Costa Concordia salvage will go ahead on Monday
The head of the operation, Nick Sloane, told AFP news agency that it was now or never for the Costa Concordia, because the hull was gradually weakening and might not survive another winter.
Engineers will try to roll the ship up using cables and the weight of water contained in huge metal boxes welded to the ship’s sides – a process called parbuckling.
This procedure must be done very slowly to prevent further damage to the hull, which has spent more than 18 months partially submerged in 50ft of water and fully exposed to the elements.
More boxes will then be attached to the other side, and the water will be replaced with air to add buoyancy, allowing the vessel to be towed away and broken up for scrap.
If the operation goes wrong, environmentalists warn that toxic substances could leak out into the sea.
For the people of Giglio, the salvage operation will be an important moment – and a special prayer was said during Sunday Mass.
The small island’s economy depends hugely on tourism and the presence of the wreck has discouraged visitors.
The salvage project has so far cost more than 600 million euros ($800 million) and could cost a lot more by the time the operation is complete.
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The trial of Francesco Schettino, the captain of the Costa Concordia cruise ship, which ran aground off Italy last year, has opened and been adjourned until next week.
Francesco Schettino, 52, faces charges of multiple manslaughter and abandoning ship.
Thirty-two people died when the ship hit rocks off the Tuscan island of Giglio in January 2012 and then tipped onto its side.
Tuesday’s hearing was adjourned because of a nationwide lawyers’ strike.
Francesco Schettino has been accused of steering the luxury liner too fast and too close to the shore, and of leaving the ship before all of the 4,229 passengers and crew were taken off.
He was allegedly performing a risky night-time sail-past salute to people on the tiny island of Giglio.
Captain Francesco Schettino faces charges of multiple manslaughter and abandoning he Costa Concordia cruise ship
The Costa Concordia ship was holed by rocks on the left-hand side causing it to list, as passengers dined on the first night of the cruise.
A chaotic and disorganized evacuation ensued. By the time the order to evacuate came, the Costa Concordia was listing so far to one side that many lifeboats could not be used.
The liner is still lying on its side, half-submerged, off Giglio. Two people are still listed as missing.
Captain Francesco Schettino denies the charges, and his defense is expected to argue that no single person was to blame for the accident.
He claims his maneuvering of the ship closer to shore saved lives.
The trial is being heard in Grosseto, a city 90 miles north-west of Rome which is nearest to the site of the wreck. It is taking place in the city’s theatre, rather than its small courthouse.
In addition to the hundreds of survivors seeking compensation, the local authorities in Giglio are hoping for at least 80 million euros ($105 million) to make up for alleged lost revenue and the eyesore that has been on its shoreline.
Up to 430 witnesses and 250 plaintiffs could be called during Francesco Schettino’s trial, AFP news agency reports.
Francesco Schettino’s lawyers say he faces a maximum 20 years in jail if found guilty.
The Costa Concordia still lies partially submerged off the coast of Giglio while salvage crews work to refloat it.
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Francesco Schettino, the captain of the Costa Concordia cruise ship, which ran aground off Italy last year, is set to go on trial.
Francesco Schettino, 52, faces charges of multiple manslaughter and abandoning ship.
Thirty-two people died when the ship hit a rock off the Tuscan island of Giglio in January 2012 and then tipped onto its side.
A nationwide strike by Italian lawyers is expected to affect the start of the trial, due later on Tuesday.
Francesco Schettino has been accused of steering the luxury liner too fast and too close to the shore, and of leaving the ship before all of the 4,229 passengers were taken off.
He was allegedly performing a risky night-time sail-past salute to people on the tiny island of Giglio.
The ship was holed by rocks on the left-hand side causing it to list, as passengers dined on the first night of the cruise.
Francesco Schettino, the captain of the Costa Concordia cruise ship, which ran aground off Italy last year, is set to go on trial
A chaotic and disorganized evacuation ensued. By the time the order to evacuate came, the Costa Concordia was listing so far to one side that many lifeboats could not be used.
The liner is still lying on its side, half-submerged, off Giglio. Two people are still listed as missing.
Captain Francesco Schettino denies the charges, and his defense is expected to argue that no single person was to blame for the accident.
He claims his manoeuvring of the ship closer to shore saved lives.
Francesco Schettino is expected in court in Grosseto, a city 90 miles north-west of Rome which is nearest to the site of the wreck.
However, the trial could be delayed by a week if his lawyers observe the strike, scheduled to start on Tuesday.
In addition to the hundreds of survivors seeking compensation, the local authorities in Giglio are hoping for at least 80 million euros ($105 million) to make up for alleged lost revenue and the eyesore that has been on its shoreline.
Up to 430 witnesses and 250 plaintiffs could be called during Francesco Schettino’s trial, AFP news agency reports.
Francesco Schettino’s lawyers say he faces a maximum 20 years in jail if found guilty.
The Costa Concordia still lies partially submerged off the coast of Giglio while salvage crews work to refloat it.
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The wreck of the Costa Concordia cruise ship in Italy will be removed by September at the latest, officials overseeing the work have said.
It has been lying on its side off the island of Giglio, on the coast of Tuscany, since it capsized a year ago with the loss of more than 30 lives.
Because it lies in a marine nature reserve, cutting it up could be hugely damaging to the local environment.
Instead, it will be lifted upright and towed to the mainland for dismantling.
Costa Concordia hit rocks and sank off the Italian coast on January 13, 2012.
Captain Francesco Schettino is accused of causing a shipwreck, manslaughter and abandoning ship before all passengers were evacuated.
The wreck of the Costa Concordia cruise ship in Italy will be removed by September at the latest
Giving the latest time schedule, officials said that it might be possible to remove the Concordia as early as June.
The local islanders are desperate to see it go as they depend almost entirely on tourism.
Although the wreck has attracted some sightseers, such people only come for the briefest time and spend almost nothing.
Meanwhile, the islanders say that the more traditional, long-stay tourist trade has been cut by at least 40%.
People just do not want to spend their holiday in a place that is the scene of a colossal salvage operation.
And for local people, the presence of the wreck just beyond the harbor is a constant reminder of the disaster.
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