Greek coastal shipping and companies in the sector are called upon to make significant investments in the coming years, in order to be able to continue serving the island country with modern ships.
The funds required may exceed 5 billion euros, while finding the necessary financing is a big bet, which still remains open.
It is also open whether Greek shipyards will take a share, which technologies will ultimately be used in an environment that is constantly changing, as well as who will be pioneers in this effort and who will wait for conditions to settle down.
At a conference organized by the Greek Shipowners Association for Passenger Ships (SEEN), at the Eugenides Foundation, entitled “Modern Coastal Shipping – Sustainable Development of the Islands,” the CEO of Attica Group, Panos Dikaios, estimated that the cost of the green transition of coastal shipping will range from 3 to 4 billion euros.
On his part, the Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy, Christos Stylianidis, provided more details about the PPP program for barren routes, which the European Union seems to accept.
He said that Europe may accept that a route may reach even 20 years, from the current four, in order to make the construction of green ships for barren routes sustainable.
In fact, these ships – for which the ministry currently budgets 260 million euros, but which may increase in the future – are feasible to be built in Greece.
As ONEX President and CEO Panos Xenokostas said,”we are fully prepared and are waiting for the European sign.”
A sign that could also mean direct partial financing of the shipyards. And since it is unknown when the Commission will release funds for the construction of ships, information on the sidelines of the conference suggested that the ONEX Group is expected to cut the first sheet within the year for the construction of 20 tugboats, which could later double.
Attica and Minoan Lines
Attica Group has signed an agreement for the construction of two large E-Flexer type coastal vessels, to be built by Stena RoRo at the CMI Jinling Weihai shipyard in China and their delivery is scheduled for April and August 2027.
The new vessels will be certified methanol ready and battery ready, with engines designed to operate on three different types of fuel.
The agreement also includes the prospect of an extension for Stena RoRo to build two more ships for Attica. The Attica Group will have the right to purchase the ships after the first five years of their charter.
It also plans to proceed with the construction of two more medium-sized passenger ferries, i.e. between 140 and 170 meters, as well as two large high-speed vessels, as well as two more aero catamarans.
The value of the shipbuilding program is expected to reach 1.2 billion euros.
The new shipbuilding program of the Grimaldi Group also foresees two new ships for Minoan Lines.
“Shipbuilding Activity”
“Our group’s strategy is to complete the country’s shipbuilding ecosystem, with the collective cooperation of other shipping sectors, which we started five years ago,” emphasized Panos Xenokostas, president and CEO of ONEX Group and president of the Association of Greek Shipyards.
He explained that there is already cooperation with the Greek government to change the institutional framework of shipbuilding activity to address problems, while adding that ONEX Group is ready to proceed with shipbuilding and has already proceeded with a relevant agreement for the construction of tugboats and coastal vessels.
