Greece's privatisations office is expected to publish in coming days tenders for the sale of a majority stake in the Port Authority of Alexandroupolis (OLA) and the Port Authority of Igoumenitsa (OLIG) as well as a concession contract for the container terminal at the port of Kavala.
Candidates for the port of Alexandroupolis will have the opportunity to participate in the subcontracting of the container station at Kavala as it is considered complementary operation. The ports of Kavala and Alexandroupolis, along with Thessaloniki's, have been included in the wider development plan of the Egnatia railway, a project that is expected to move ahead in the fall. Albeit at a slow pace, the plan to connect the three Greek ports with three peers in Bulgaria is progressing.
There is strong interest US interest in the port of Alexandroupolis and it is considered certain that SSA Marine will take part in the tender, in collaboration with Greek group Goldair. The investor is also expected to bid for the Kavala terminal. As for Igoumenitsa, Italian group Grimaldi, which also manages Minoan Lines, has shown interest in the project. German group Förde Reederei Seetouristik (FRS) has also shown interest in recent weeks, with a strong presence in passenger and freight transport in several countries around the world, has also shown interest in recent weeks.
Volos and Heraklion have been added to the first wave of regional ports to be developed with the relevant tenders planned for the first quarter of 2021. Yesterday, Aris Xenophos, president of the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund, visited the Port Authority of Volos and pointed out that talks on its development have acquired special weight for two reasons: firstly, because the port of Volos has been included in the first group of five regional ports to be exploited and secondly, because the government's successful management of the recent health crisis requires all bodies to contribute to the reorganization of the Greek economy .
The management of the port highlighted in their meeting that there has been an increase in demand for mooring yachts, mainly of private use, opening new possibilities for the development of yachting in the city of Volos.