Investors crowd over port sales; the tenders coming

The speed at which the navy will proceed with the construction of a small naval base in the area of the Volos Port Authority will determine the timing as to when a tender of the port’s development will be launched. The ports of Volos and Corfu will be next in line for when HRADF will look for investors after the submission of nine bids for 67% of the Port Authority of Heraklion (OLI) and the ongoing tenders for the ports of Alexandroupolis, Nea Karvalis of Kavala and Igoumenitsa.

The discussion with the Navy has been going on in Volos for months, while the US side has also shown interest. In Corfu, various scenarios have been examined, including two separate concessions. The local port organization manages the marinas of Spilia and Imerolia as well as the port of Lefkimmi through which southern Corfu is connected to Igoumenitsa. The deal with Patras is being pushed back, as the interested groups from the field of coastal shipping want to see how the tenders for Igoumenitsa and Heraklion will develop in order to make their final decisions.

There is a big battle for both the port of Igoumenitsa and Heraklion. Seven groups have passed to the second stage of the tender for Igoumenitsa, namely Attica Holdings, Portek International (Singapore), Quintana Infrastructure & Development (USA), Aegean Oil, Archirodon-ANEK - Trident Hellas Group joint venture, Grimaldi-Euromed consortium and OLTH.

Nine groups expressed interest last week, namely the Karatzi - FHL consortium I. Kyriakidis Marmara Granites, the Grimaldi Euromed joint venture with the Minoan Lines subsidiary, the Portek consortium with the Turkish group Global Ports, the consortium Attica , the GEK TERNA - Aviareps Hellas consortium of the Cretan businessman G. Gryllos, the SEKAVIN consortium (interests of the IS Vardinogiannis family) with the Goldenstep Shipping of the Seajets group, the OLTH, the technical company TEKAL and others.

The HRADF does not seem to be in a hurry for the tenders that are in the second stage. In any case, prices are expected to be low and the game will be decided on the investments that each candidate wants to make, sources say. The binding financial offers for the sale of 67% of the Alexandroupolis Port Authority (OLA) and the concession of the cargo port "Filippos B" in Kavala are expected towards the end of the year.

In Alexandroupolis, two court decisions are expected in October for the prices at which the expropriations of 49 acres within O.L.A., but also for the construction of the eastern ring road that will connect the port with the Egnatia Odos. The tender for the eastern ring road of Alexandroupolis, with a budget of close to 55 million euros and a length of 5.8 kilometers, is in a phase of being awarded. The US interest is strong as the US Armed Forces already use part of the port.

The local organization also manages two ports in Samothrace and the Makris fishing shelter. At a second stage, the American Quintana Infrastructure & Development, the joint venture of the Kopelouzos group (via Cameron) with the Goldair group and the French giant Bollore, the Thessaloniki Port Authority (OLTH) and the joint venture of GEK TERNA with the American Black Summit Financial Group, Euroports and EFA Group.

The joint venture of Imerys (whose subsidiaries currently use the port) with the Goldair group has shown strong interest for the concession of "Filippos B", while through to the second stage of the tender are Quintana, OLTH and the joint venture of GEK TERNA with Black Summit Financial Group and the EFA Group.