The procedures for implementing the investment in the 6th pier of the port of Thessaloniki will begin immediately, according to the administration of the Thessaloniki Port Authority S.A. (ThPA), with the receipt of all the necessary permits for the relevant construction projects, a development that is expected within the next few months.
According to “N” sources, the signing of the contract between the Thessaloniki Port Authority S.A. and the temporary contractor of the project, namely the METKA-TEKAL consortium, is expected to take place within a period of about one month, with the aim of starting the work by the end of March. In the meantime, approval has already been given to the temporary contractor for the transport of aggregates.
The expansion and deepening of the 6th pier is the largest of the mandatory investments provided for in the concession agreement for the consortium of investors, with an initial budget of 130 million euros, which, however, is estimated to reach 200 million euros due to the increase in prices in the meantime. Its implementation will drastically upgrade the international position of the ThPA, allowing it to welcome mainline container ships of up to 24,000 TEU.
In his statements, the Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors, Athanasios Liagos, emphasized that the issuance of the Presidential Decree marks a new era for the upgrading and development of the port and ThPA.
On his part, the Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy, Christos Stylianides, described the issuance of the said Presidential Decree as a milestone for the history and future of the port of Thessaloniki and added that Thessaloniki plays a significant role in the “Maritime Egnatia” but also in the formulation of the National Port Policy and the Ministry’s ambition is to play a leading role as the main port of the Balkans.
