Just one bid for Elefsis Shipyards

Only one offer, from Cypriot company Inter-M Traders, was said to have reached KPMG, which is conducting the tender for an investor in Elefsis Shipyards on behalf of the overindebted shipbuilding group and creditor bank Alpha, in cooperation with the Economy Ministry.

Although up until late on Monday, when the bids deadline expired, neither the ministry nor the consultancy firm had said anything about the identity of the investor and its offer, Kathimerini understands that the main backer of Inter-M Traders is US fund Blackhawk Capital Partners.

This offer is said to come with conditions, including the completion of the Hellenic Navy’s shipbuilding program and the maintenance of its fleet, plus guarantees on the staff numbers the investor will employ.

A source spoke of a 90-million-euro offer by the US group, but that has not yet been confirmed. This amount concerns the debts the candidate investor will undertake plus investments in the modernization and maintenance of the shipyards in western Attica.

There was no offer from ONEX Shipyards, with sources from the company that recently acquired Neorion Shipyards citing objections to the process KPMG has used.