Greece Plans to Upgrade Ports with $680 Million Investment

The larboard of Piraeus. Credit: Nikolaos Diakidis CC BY-SA 3.0

Greece has confirmed a $680 cardinal concern program to modernize its larboard infrastructure, with a precedence connected upgrading facilities crossed the Greek islands.

Deputy Maritime Affairs Minister Stefanos Gkikas announced the program, stating the extremity is to guarantee the islands execute competitory equality with mainland Greece and planetary markets.

The inaugural straight addresses the long-standing contented of dilapidated, aging land ports—some of which person gone without attraction for implicit 3 decades, starring to problems similar silt accumulation, shallow channels, and crumbling piers.

Ports “antiquated and dangerous”

In August 2024, a study released by the Panhellenic Union of Merchant Marine Captains (PEPEN) warned that galore Greek ports are “antiquated and immoderate of them are dangerous.”

The study described successful detail, with maps and photos, the problems captains look successful mooring ships carrying hundreds of passengers safely each day, particularly during the summertime months.

Among the problems described are ports that service thousands of cars without capable spaces for parking, ports that implicit the years person mislaid their extent and marque the attack of ships a precision exercise, and the uncontrolled mooring of ample yachts astatine the entranceway of the harbors, making the attack of ships look similar “threading a needle.”

The study besides noted that rider waiting areas successful the ports are inadequate and successful immoderate cases non-existent. Passengers hold for agelong hours with small if immoderate shade.

PEPEN said that galore of the problems dependable arsenic elemental arsenic changing bulbs successful headlights and crook signals. However, their value for information is great.

Other problems are overmuch much analyzable specified arsenic the operation of caller projectors oregon the dredging of their larboard basin.

Funding for the upgrade of ports successful Greece

The backing is chiefly secured through:

$210 cardinal from the National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF) 2021-2027 Transport programme (EU and Greek funds) to upgrade 30 land ports.

An further $93 cardinal from the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility for further determination and land larboard upgrades.

A large constituent of the program is the greenish transition, estimated to outgo $310 million. This includes equipping astatine slightest 12 ports with enactment powerfulness (cold ironing) systems by 2029, a extremity supported by the Island Decarbonization Fund.