The competitiveness and green transition of coastal shipping dominated the first section of the Greek Shipowners Association for Passenger Ships (SEEN) conference “Modern Coastal Shipping, Sustainable Development of Islands.”
The conference was held under the auspices of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs & Insular Policy, the Ministry of National Economy & Finance and the Ministry of Environment & Energy.
The president of the Institute of Economic and Industrial Research (IOBE), Nikos Vettas, presented the findings of the study conducted by IOBE entitled “The impact of the implementation of the ‘Fit for 55’ legislation on the passenger shipping sector in Greece.
The study analyses the potential impacts of the European “Fit for 55” legislation on the Greek coastal shipping sector and, by extension, on the economy of the islands. According to its findings, the implementation of the new environmental regulations may increase the operating costs of coastal shipping companies by approximately 320 million euros until 2031, compared to a scenario without the measures.
The potential consequences of this cost increase include a reduction in the frequency of routes and an increase in ticket prices, resulting in a decrease in passenger traffic by 10.4% in 2031.
Finally, it will lead to job losses, due to the overall reduction in activity in the coastal shipping sector.
The study estimates that the total GDP loss could exceed 650 million euros by 2031, while job losses could reach 16,000 across the Greek economy.
It also suggests the need to take support measures from the state in order to mitigate the negative impacts of the new legislation on the coastal shipping sector.
In conclusion, Vettas also stressed the need to invest in the green transition of passenger shipping and in new technologies that can upgrade ports and the fleet.
Stylianidis: Good cooperation between the public and private sectors is necessary
Referring to the cost of “green ships”, the Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy, Christos Stylianidis, emphasized the partnership between the public and private sectors and specifically the renewal of the coastal shipping fleet with new green ships, through PPP, in a project with a total budget of 265 million euros.
On the issue of barren routes, the Minister stressed the need to specialize in local needs, instead of a horizontal, unified approach. Stylianidis also referred to the importance of the PPP model for long-term contracts, which allow for efficiency and timely planning. “This approach was the only solution to make the green transition to barren routes with safe ships,” the Minister noted.
Theodoratos: Greek coastal shipping companies are ready to invest
On his part, the president of SEEN, Dionysis Theodoratos, stated: “I will not accept the view that coastal shipping companies have not taken steps to develop Greek passenger shipping. We are proud of the services we offer, especially in very difficult conditions. Over 1 billion euros has been invested in upgrading the fleet by Greek coastal shipping,” he said.
He also stressed that Greek coastal shipowners are ready to invest, as well as to take advantage of available opportunities, as long as they exist.
