Piraeus Port shipbuilding activity jumps 21 pct in H1
Piraeus Port Authority (OLP) recorded a 21 percent increase in its shipbuilding and repairs activity in the first half of the year, with 207 ships serviced in that period, compared with 171 vessels in the same period of 2017.
The growth was achieved despite the fact that the new floating dock, Piraeus III, was not fully operational in the first few months of 2018. The port’s second floating dock, Piraeus II, was transported to the east pier of the shipbuilding repair area in the first half of the year.
The operation of Piraeus III, in conjunction with other infrastructure upgrades in the shipbuilding zone, has already attracted companies and is contributing to the improvement of competitiveness and the implementation of Greek know-how in the shipbuilding sector.
The new floating dock, measuring 240 meters in length, can service ships with a carrying capacity of 80,000 tons. The dock has already serviced coastal vessels of Greek shipping companies which previously had to be taken to shipyards abroad.
The management of Piraeus Port Authority, which is 67 percent owned by China’s Cosco, has said its strategic goal is to turn the port of Piraeus into a shipbuilding hub in the Eastern Mediterranean and contribute to the resurgence of shipbuilding activity by attracting more ships per year as a result of increased reliability and high service delivery.
OLP sources told Kathimerini that “the good operation of the new floating dock and its compatibility with European directives was once again confirmed after the relevant inspections carried out by the merchant shipping inspection industry.”
The concession agreement signed between Greece and Cosco provides for total investments of 55 million euros for the improvement of infrastructure in the shipbuilding zone, most of which has been completed.
OLP now has five fully functional docks in the Perama shipbuilding area: floating docks Piraeus I and III on the western pier and Piraeus II on the eastern pier, and the two dry docks on Akti Vasiliadi.
