Refloating capsized Costa Concordia 'could cost far beyond 100m euro'

London, Mar 16 (ANI): The overall cost of refloating Costa Concordia, the luxury cruise ship that ran aground off the Italian coast in January this year, would be 'far beyond' 100 million Euros, a dredging and maritime services company bidding for the task has said.

Peter Berdowski, the chief executive of Royal Boskalis Westminster, said recovering the capsized ship was "an operation without precedent".

"You're not talking about an operation of a few dozen millions but something that goes far beyond 100 million Euros," The Telegraph quoted Berdowski, as saying.

"This is an operation without precedent. You have to imagine a big fat whale the size of a block of flats lying on its side, accidentally supported by two rocks," he added.

Berdowski also said Boskalis has put forward a "responsible and careful way" to refloat the cruise liner.

The Dutch company, which founded its UK arm, the Westminster Dredging Company in the 1930s, is one of six to have submitted a proposal to remove the ship.

Boskalis's SMIT business has already won the contract to remove fuel from the ship.

According to the paper, some of the rival bidders have proposed cutting up the Costa Concordia, which would be a cheaper alternative initially.

Insurers and Carnival, the owner of the cruise ship, will take the final decision. (ANI)