In 2027 and 2028, the public and private funds that will be required for the “greening” of coastal shipping and the development of port infrastructure are expected to rise to 2 billion euros, Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy Christos Stylianidis said.
He noted that, in addition to the initiatives that have already been undertaken, the negotiation with the European Commission is still ongoing on the matter concerning the ETC pollution trading system in shipping in order to investigate whether there is a possibility of refunding the sector for the implementation of investments.
Announcing the initiatives that have already been taken to modernize coastal shipping towards the green transition and to upgrade services in the sector in relation to insularity, the minister said that from the first moment he took over the ministry he set as his main priority the strengthening of safety in maritime transport, as it affects more broadly the issues of economy, development and tourism, but also more generally the image of the country on a global scale.
Maritime cluster in Piraeus
The minister also revealed plans for the creation of a maritime cluster in Piraeus.
The specific initiative, he said, will focus on issues of innovation in maritime equipment and the strengthening of companies active in this sector, in order to create innovative maritime equipment with green technologies.
Regarding shipbuilding, he said that the aim is the energy upgrade of the existing fleet and the construction of new green ships in coastal shipping, pointing out that “in this way we want to enable Greek shipyards to conquer part of the shipbuilding industry in the Mediterranean.”
Finally, Stylianidis announced the restructuring of the services of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and the Coast Guard.
