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Costa Concordia: Vessel To Be Towed From Giglio In Final Step Of Salvage Operation (PICTURES)

The Costa Concordia Is About To Embark On Its Final Voyage
Huffington Post UK
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The rusted remains of the Costa Concordia are almost ready to be towed from its watery resting place of two-and-a-half years.

The doomed liner is now in an upright position, having been refloated using air tanks and series of hydraulic jacks, cables and compartments known as “sponsons”.

Some 32 people died when the ocean liner slammed into rocks off the coast of Giglio, Italy, in January 2012.

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The liner struck rocks off the coast of Giglio in January 2012

Two bodies – a passenger and a crew member – have never been recovered.

The ship will be towed on Tuesday by a convoy of 14 vessels, led by the tug boat Blizzard, to a port in Genoa, where it will be broken up for scrap.

SEE ALSO: Costa Concordia Refloat Operation For Capsized Ocean Liner Underway (PICTURES)

The president of the French Concordia survivors group Anne Decre told Reuters the departure of the ship is symbolic for those who were aboard on the night it sank.

She said: “It gives us the opportunity to try and collect ourselves and move forward."

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The salvage of the vessel is believed to be the biggest in maritime history

Pointing out the shop will follow the same route it would have had it not sank, she added: “We hope that we will also be able to return to our route.”

It is believed to be one of the biggest maritime salvage operations in history and has already cost nearly one billion US dollars.

In September last year the vessel was successfully lifted off rocks in the first part of the rescue operation.

It was moved onto a platform on the seabed during the operation, believed to be the biggest of its kind.

The Concordia’s captain, Francesco Schettino, is currently on trial in Italy on a number of charges related to the sinking, including manslaughter.

The 53-year-old is alleged to have ordered the ship off its prescribed course so passengers could wave at people on the shore.

The 114,500-tonne vessel then hit a reef which Schettino claimed was not mapped.

Costa Concordia
ITALY-SHIPPING-TOURISM-DISASTER-SALVAGE(01 of16)
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A picture shows the Costa Concordia cruise ship after being refloated using air tanks attached to its sides on July 21, 2014 at the Giglio Island. The Costa Concordia is due to be dragged away on July 22, 2014 from Giglio Island, where it crashed on the night of January 13, 2012 in a disaster that killed 32 people. The ship's final journey for scrapping in the port of Genoa in northwest Italy is set to take four days. AFP PHOTO / TIZIANA FABI (Photo credit should read TIZIANA FABI/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:TIZIANA FABI via Getty Images)
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The name of the Costa Concordia cruise ship appears above the water line after being refloated using air tanks attached to its sides on July 21, 2014 at the Giglio Island. The Costa Concordia is due to be dragged away on July 22, 2014 from Giglio Island, where it crashed on the night of January 13, 2012 in a disaster that killed 32 people. The ship's final journey for scrapping in the port of Genoa in northwest Italy is set to take four days. AFP PHOTO / TIZIANA FABI (Photo credit should read TIZIANA FABI/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:TIZIANA FABI via Getty Images)
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A picture shows the Costa Concordia cruise ship after being refloated using air tanks attached to its sides on July 21, 2014 at the Giglio Island. The Costa Concordia is due to be dragged away on July 22, 2014 from Giglio Island, where it crashed on the night of January 13, 2012 in a disaster that killed 32 people. The ship's final journey for scrapping in the port of Genoa in northwest Italy is set to take four days. AFP PHOTO / TIZIANA FABI (Photo credit should read TIZIANA FABI/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:TIZIANA FABI via Getty Images)
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A picture shows the Costa Concordia cruise ship after being refloated using air tanks attached to its sides on July 21, 2014 at the Giglio Island. The Costa Concordia is due to be dragged away on July 22, 2014 from Giglio Island, where it crashed on the night of January 13, 2012 in a disaster that killed 32 people. The ship's final journey for scrapping in the port of Genoa in northwest Italy is set to take four days. AFP PHOTO / TIZIANA FABI (Photo credit should read TIZIANA FABI/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:TIZIANA FABI via Getty Images)
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A picture shows the Costa Concordia cruise ship after being refloated using air tanks attached to its sides on July 21, 2014 at the Giglio Island. The Costa Concordia is due to be dragged away on July 22, 2014 from Giglio Island, where it crashed on the night of January 13, 2012 in a disaster that killed 32 people. The ship's final journey for scrapping in the port of Genoa in northwest Italy is set to take four days. AFP PHOTO / TIZIANA FABI (Photo credit should read TIZIANA FABI/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:TIZIANA FABI via Getty Images)
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The name of the Costa Concordia cruise ship appears above the water line after being refloated using air tanks attached to its sides on July 21, 2014 at the Giglio Island. The Costa Concordia is due to be dragged away on July 22, 2014 from Giglio Island, where it crashed on the night of January 13, 2012 in a disaster that killed 32 people. The ship's final journey for scrapping in the port of Genoa in northwest Italy is set to take four days. AFP PHOTO / TIZIANA FABI (Photo credit should read TIZIANA FABI/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:TIZIANA FABI via Getty Images)
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Workers climb on a caisson hooked to the refloated wreck of the Costa Concordia cruise ship on July 20, 2014 at the Giglio Island. The Costa Concordia is due to be dragged away on July 22, 2014 from Giglio Island, where it crashed on the night of January 13, 2012 in a disaster that killed 32 people. The ship's final journey for scrapping in the port of Genoa in northwest Italy is set to take four days. AFP PHOTO / TIZIANA FABI (Photo credit should read TIZIANA FABI/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:TIZIANA FABI via Getty Images)
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Workers climb on a caisson hooked to the refloated wreck of the Costa Concordia cruise ship on July 20, 2014 at the Giglio Island. The Costa Concordia is due to be dragged away on July 22, 2014 from Giglio Island, where it crashed on the night of January 13, 2012 in a disaster that killed 32 people. The ship's final journey for scrapping in the port of Genoa in northwest Italy is set to take four days. AFP PHOTO / TIZIANA FABI (Photo credit should read TIZIANA FABI/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:TIZIANA FABI via Getty Images)
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The name 'Costa Concordia' appears above water on the refloated wreck of the cruise ship on July 20, 2014 at the Giglio Island. Italian salvage workers said yesterday they would begin towing away the Costa Concordia cruise ship wreck on a final voyage to the scrapyard on Tuesday -- a day later than scheduled. Over two and a half years after it crashed off the island of Giglio in a nighttime disaster which left 32 people dead, the plan is to raise and tow away the 114,500-tonne vessel in an unprecedented and delicate operation for its final journey to the shipyard where it was built in the port of Genoa. AFP PHOTO / GIUSEPPE CACACE (Photo credit should read GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:GIUSEPPE CACACE via Getty Images)
ITALY-SHIPPING-TOURISM-DISASTER(10 of16)
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A picture shows a part of the prow of the refloated wreck of the Costa Concordia cruise ship early on July 20, 2014 at the Giglio Island. Italian salvage workers said yesterday they would begin towing away the Costa Concordia cruise ship wreck on a final voyage to the scrapyard on Tuesday -- a day later than scheduled. Over two and a half years after it crashed off the island of Giglio in a nighttime disaster which left 32 people dead, the plan is to raise and tow away the 114,500-tonne vessel in an unprecedented and delicate operation for its final journey to the shipyard where it was built in the port of Genoa. AFP PHOTO / TIZIANA FABI (Photo credit should read TIZIANA FABI/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:TIZIANA FABI via Getty Images)
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A picture shows the refloated wreck of the Costa Concordia cruise ship early on July 20, 2014 at the Giglio Island. Italian salvage workers said yesterday they would begin towing away the Costa Concordia cruise ship wreck on a final voyage to the scrapyard on Tuesday -- a day later than scheduled. Over two and a half years after it crashed off the island of Giglio in a nighttime disaster which left 32 people dead, the plan is to raise and tow away the 114,500-tonne vessel in an unprecedented and delicate operation for its final journey to the shipyard where it was built in the port of Genoa. AFP PHOTO / GIUSEPPE CACACE (Photo credit should read GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:GIUSEPPE CACACE via Getty Images)
ITALY-SHIPPING-TOURISM-DISASTER(12 of16)
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A picture shows the refloated wreck of the Costa Concordia cruise ship early on July 20, 2014 at the Giglio Island. Italian salvage workers said yesterday they would begin towing away the Costa Concordia cruise ship wreck on a final voyage to the scrapyard on Tuesday -- a day later than scheduled. Over two and a half years after it crashed off the island of Giglio in a nighttime disaster which left 32 people dead, the plan is to raise and tow away the 114,500-tonne vessel in an unprecedented and delicate operation for its final journey to the shipyard where it was built in the port of Genoa. AFP PHOTO / GIUSEPPE CACACE (Photo credit should read GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:GIUSEPPE CACACE via Getty Images)
ITALY-SHIPPING-TOURISM-DISASTER(13 of16)
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A picture shows the refloated wreck of the Costa Concordia cruise ship early on July 20, 2014 at the Giglio Island. Italian salvage workers said yesterday they would begin towing away the Costa Concordia cruise ship wreck on a final voyage to the scrapyard on Tuesday -- a day later than scheduled. Over two and a half years after it crashed off the island of Giglio in a nighttime disaster which left 32 people dead, the plan is to raise and tow away the 114,500-tonne vessel in an unprecedented and delicate operation for its final journey to the shipyard where it was built in the port of Genoa. AFP PHOTO / GIUSEPPE CACACE (Photo credit should read GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:GIUSEPPE CACACE via Getty Images)
ITALY-SHIPPING-TOURISM-DISASTER(14 of16)
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A picture shows a part of the prow of the refloated wreck of the Costa Concordia cruise ship early on July 20, 2014 at the Giglio Island. Italian salvage workers said yesterday they would begin towing away the Costa Concordia cruise ship wreck on a final voyage to the scrapyard on Tuesday -- a day later than scheduled. Over two and a half years after it crashed off the island of Giglio in a nighttime disaster which left 32 people dead, the plan is to raise and tow away the 114,500-tonne vessel in an unprecedented and delicate operation for its final journey to the shipyard where it was built in the port of Genoa. AFP PHOTO / GIUSEPPE CACACE (Photo credit should read GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:GIUSEPPE CACACE via Getty Images)
ITALY-SHIPPING-TOURISM-DISASTER(15 of16)
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A picture shows the refloated wreck of the Costa Concordia cruise ship early on July 20, 2014 at the Giglio Island. Italian salvage workers said yesterday they would begin towing away the Costa Concordia cruise ship wreck on a final voyage to the scrapyard on Tuesday -- a day later than scheduled. Over two and a half years after it crashed off the island of Giglio in a nighttime disaster which left 32 people dead, the plan is to raise and tow away the 114,500-tonne vessel in an unprecedented and delicate operation for its final journey to the shipyard where it was built in the port of Genoa. AFP PHOTO / GIUSEPPE CACACE (Photo credit should read GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:GIUSEPPE CACACE via Getty Images)
ITALY-SHIPPING-TOURISM-DISASTER(16 of16)
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A picture shows a part of the prow of the refloated wreck of the Costa Concordia cruise ship early on July 20, 2014 at the Giglio Island. Italian salvage workers said yesterday they would begin towing away the Costa Concordia cruise ship wreck on a final voyage to the scrapyard on Tuesday -- a day later than scheduled. Over two and a half years after it crashed off the island of Giglio in a nighttime disaster which left 32 people dead, the plan is to raise and tow away the 114,500-tonne vessel in an unprecedented and delicate operation for its final journey to the shipyard where it was built in the port of Genoa. AFP PHOTO / GIUSEPPE CACACE (Photo credit should read GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:GIUSEPPE CACACE via Getty Images)
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