A giant salvage vessel could be used to carry the wreck of the Costa Concordia away from its resting place off the Italian island of Giglio.
Costa Crociere said the Dockwise Vanguard, capable of picking up oil rigs, had been retained as one possible option for removing the wreck from its current location next year.
It said the $30 million contract to use the salvage vessel would offer a “safe and swift” method to transport the cruise ship to its as-yet-undetermined final destination.
The Vanguard, described by its Dutch owner Royal Boskalis as the world’s largest semi-submersible ship, uses vast ballast tanks to lower and raise itself around its cargo, the BBC reported.
The vessel can sink under the Concordia then rise up to lift it clear of the water before sailing it to be scrapped.
The company said modifications would need to be made before it is capable of carrying Concordia.
Salvage teams moved the ship to an upright position last month, enabling divers to find the remains of one of two people who were still unaccounted for.