Investors queue up for Alexandroupolis port

At least four groups are expected to show interest in acquiring a majority stake in the Alexandroupolis Port Authority (OLA) on Friday, if there is no new extension to the deadline from the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund (HRADF).

Up until now, the final scheme in which the US investment company BlackSummit Financial Group, being led by Messrs. Τζ. and G. Charalampakis, will bid for the Alexandroupoli port is not known. However, the cooperation with the US Development Bank, DFC, which is also involved in the Elefsina Shipyards, is considered certain. At Elefsina Shipyards, DFC is collaborating with the ONEX group that was rumored to be interested in the ports, but is not the case.

So far it is not known who will be the European group, with experience in port management, that will participate in the BlackSummit scheme, as announced by US Ambassador Jeffrey Payat. The ambassador had said that the same group would show interest in the tender for the multi-year management of the freight pier "Filippos B" in the port of Kavala. The deadline for bids of expression for the pier "Filippos B" has been set by HRADF for October 23rd.

The second consortium that is considered to be a certain candidate for the port of Alexandroupolis is the Kopelouzos group with Goldair and French group Bollore Transport & Logistics. This is a scheme that is also interested in the cargo pier of the port of Kavala.

OLTH is also said to be a candidate for the management of the ports of Alexandroupolis and Kavala, without being sure that it will finally make a showing on Friday, nor whether it will participate in any other group. A Greek shipowner is also interested in Alexandroupolis, while the name of Dimitris Melissanidis has been heard in recent weeks.

Different names are also being heard on the port of Igoumenitsa with the sale of a majority stake of the Port Authority (OLIG) being postponed until October 30th. The candidacy of Italian group Grimaldi, which also controls the Minoan Lines and is one of the largest users of the port of Igoumenitsa, is considered certain. Finally, the name of Attica Group has been floated with the Italian group for the Adriatic shipping lines. Germany's Förde Reederei Seetouristik, which has a presence in Albania, has also been mentioned as a possible candidate, as well as the Danish DFDS, which recently launched a travel route connecting Smyrna with Trieste via Patras and Igoumenitsa.