Four regional ports that are part of the HRADF portfolio secured 10-million-euro funds from the European Commission’s Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) program for the development of cold ironing infrastructure and the preparation of related studies.
The proposal submitted to the CEF for the four Port Organizations under the name “DECOMPRESS” (DEcarbonizing the Greek COMPREhensive PortS), aims to transform them into greener and technologically advanced ports by implementing environmental projects to reduce their carbon footprint and improving the quality of life of the residents of the surrounding areas.
A key role in the submission of the proposal was played by the Lavrio Port Organization, which coordinated the relevant procedures, while the Directorate of Sustainable Development, ESG and Climate Change of HRADF organized the participation in this initiative of three other Port Organizations of the Fund, namely Rafina, Kavala and Corfu. A total of 408 proposals were submitted for CEF funding and 134 were approved.
Securing resources from the CEF strengthens the national goal for the energy transformation of Greek ports as our country now has access to an important financial tool, which will contribute to its compliance with European regulations. More specifically, within the framework of the 55% Adaptation Package (“Fit for 55”) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55% in 2030 compared to 1990 levels, European ports are obliged to develop infrastructure to supply electricity from shore to docked ships by the end of the decade.
HRADF has set the transition of ports to climate neutrality as a strategic pillar of the Sustainable Development Policy and has launched and carried out a series of actions in order to make ports a strong pillar of the country’s Blue Economy. A typical case of the Fund’s actions is the initiative it has undertaken to transform the port of Lavrio into a model sustainable port, with the ultimate goal of contributing more widely to the holistic transformation of the wider region.
