After months of preparations SVITZER Salvage Thursday 30/08 succeeded in par buckling the REPUBBLICA DI GENOVA from her capsized position into a more normal upright position. The 216 meter long, 42,567 GRT vessel turned on her side in Antwerp early March this year. SVITZER Salvage was contracted to upright and refloat the vessel with preparational work for completing the first phase requiring over 2 months. This basically involved installing pulling systems to exert the required 7,500 tons to upright the vessel. These pulling systems included ‘pile’ pulling anchors and reaction anchors connected to 15 large cantilevers to increase the effective pulling force. Work also included the removal or securing of possible oil remaining inside the vessel to prevent pollution.

All was set for a start of the pulling operation on Thursday 30/8 early morning. During the morning hours tensioning of the systems took place with the uprighting starting in earnest in the afternoon. That same evening the list of the vessel had been brought back from the original 90 degrees to 9 degrees.

The operation will now move into the second phase; bringing back the vessel in a floating condition.