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Angeliki Koutantou News

26 Feb 2024

Greek Frigate Departs to Join EU Red Sea Mission

(File photo: Hellenic Navy)

Greece's frigate Hydra departed for the Red Sea on Monday to participate in a mission to protect merchant ships from attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi militia, a defense ministry official said.Earlier on Monday, the Greek government approved the country's participation in the European Union naval mission dubbed Eunavfor Aspides in the Red Sea.Many commercial shippers have diverted vessels following attacks by the Houthis who control much of Yemen and say they are acting in solidarity with the Palestinians as Israel and Hamas wage war in Gaza.Greece's security council approved a proposal by

12 Feb 2024

Houthis Target Cargo Ship Bound for Iran

© Sergey Zhmurchak / Adobe Stock

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis have targeted a cargo ship in the Red Sea which shipping analysts said on Monday had been carrying corn to Iran.It appeared to be the first time the Houthis have targeted an Iran-bound vessel since starting attacks on international shipping in solidarity with Palestinians over the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, shipping sources said.A U.S. defence official said it was likely that the ship had been targeted but not hit, but provided no further comment. Earlier…

20 Dec 2023

Greece Advises Vessels to Avoid Yemeni Waters After Red Sea Attacks

© Kalyakan / Adobe Stock

Greece has advised commercial vessels sailing in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden to avoid Yemeni waters, keep only the necessary crew on the bridge and follow alerts issued by maritime authorities to avoid attacks in the area.Greek ship-owners control about 20% of the world's commercial vessels in terms of carrying capacity.A shipping ministry advisory was issued on Saturday, as recent attacks by the Iran-aligned Houthi militant group on vessels have forced leading shipping companies to reroute via the cape of Good Hope to avoid the Suez Canal…

06 Sep 2023

Man Drowns After Being Pushed off Ferry Departing Piraeus

A 36-year-old man who tried to board a passenger ship as it sailed from Greece's Piraeus port on Tuesday drowned after being pushed back by crew members off the vessel's stern ramp, the country's shipping minister said on Wednesday.The incident has shocked the country. Video footage released on social media showed crew members arguing with the man on the stern ramp just as the ferry Blue Horizon was leaving Piraeus for the island of Crete.Shipping Minister Miltiadis Varvitsiotis said on Wednesday that the man, who had bought a ticket, had boarded the ship before disembarking for unknown reasons and then tried to board again, which was when he was pushed back by crew members and fell into the sea just as the ship departed."I feel shock and horror for what has happened…

30 Jun 2023

Survivors of Greece Boat Disaster Say Coastguard Rope Toppled Boat

(Photo: Hellenic Coast Guard)

Survivors of a boat disaster that likely killed hundreds of migrants near Greece have given accounts of traffickers in North Africa cramming them into a clapped-out fishing trawler. They recounted hellish conditions above and below deck, with no food or water.Some also said the tragic end, when it came, was precipitated by the actions of the Greek coastguard. They have told judicial authorities of a doomed attempt to tow the overloaded trawler that caused the vessel to capsize…

05 Jun 2023

Greek Police Seize 161 Kilos of Cocaine Hidden in Banana Containers

Credit: Greek Police

Police in northern Greece have seized dozens of packages of cocaine stashed in containers laden with bananas that had been shipped from Latin America, they said on Saturday. Police seized two suspect containers at the port of Piraeus and, after taking them to the port of Thessaloniki, found 100 "bricks" of concealed cocaine, weighing 161 kilos. The drugs, which would have been distributed across Greece and other European countries, are estimated to be worth about 3.2 million euros, police said.

17 May 2023

Greece: Alexandroupolis Port Gets $26M EU Funding

Lighthouse at Alexandroupolis Port - ©Constantin/AdobeStock

Greece has secured 24 million euros ($26 million) in European Union funding to upgrade its northern Aegean Sea port of Alexandroupolis, privatization agency HRADF said on Wednesday.Alexandroupolis, which is close to Bulgaria and Turkey, has been used by U.S.

24 Feb 2023

Gastrade Sees Decision On Second LNG Terminal This Year

© moofushi / Adobe Stock

Greece’s Gastrade said on Thursday it expects to take a final investment decision on developing a second gas floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) off the country’s northern port of Alexandroupolis by the end of the year.With Europe racing to cut its reliance on Russian gas in the wake of the war in Ukraine, Greece is slowly becoming a key transit route for LNG in southeastern Europe.Last year, Athens replaced much of Russian pipeline gas by ramping up deliveries of liquefied natural gas (LNG)…

30 Nov 2022

Greek LNG Terminals in the Pipeline

(Photo: Gastrade)

As demand grows for liquefied natural gas in Europe in the wake of the war in Ukraine, Greece has relied heavily on its sole LNG terminal off Athens to replace Russian gas imports.Now it is looking to build new floating storage and regasification units (FSRUs) that could be operational by 2024.Here is information on the Revithoussa terminal and other planned projects:REVITHOUSSAGreece's sole operational LNG regasification and storage terminal on the Revithoussa islet off Athens…

07 Nov 2022

Greece Likely to Cancel Alexandroupolis Port Sale

© giannis / Adobe Stock

Greece is likely to cancel the sale of its northern port of Alexandroupolis, mainly due to the port’s upgraded role following the war in Ukraine, two sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Monday.Greece in September received two binding bids for a 67% stake in the port of Alexandroupolis.The bidders were Quintana Infrastructure and Development through Liberty Port Holdings Single Member, and International Port Investments Alexandroupolis, a joint venture of Black Summit Financial Group, Euroports, EFA Group and GEK Terna.(Reuters - Reporting by Angeliki Koutantou and Lefteris Pap

01 Nov 2022

Nine Migrants Rescued, Dozens Missing after Boat Sinks off Greek island

Greece rescued nine migrants and was searching for dozens of others believed to be missing after their boat sank off the island of Evia early on Tuesday, the coast guard said. Nine people have been rescued from the boat, which sank off the southern tip of Evia, Greek coast guard spokesman Nikos Kokkalas told state broadcaster ERT. According to the migrants accounts, about 68 people were on the boat, Kokkalas said. A coast guard vessel, a helicopter and two boats sailing nearby are taking part in the rescue operation under gale-force winds, the coast guard said in a statement.

22 Sep 2022

Two Binding Bids for Greek Port

© giannis/AdobeStock

Greece received two binding bids for a majority stake in its northern port of Alexandroupolis, the country's privatizations agency HRADF said.The bidders for a 67% stake in the port were Quintana Infrastructure and Development through Liberty Port Holdings Single Member, and International Port Investments Alexandroupolis, a joint venture of Black Summit Financial Group, Euroports, EFA Group and GEK Terna, the agency said in a statement.The deadline for the bids expired earlier on Thursday.

22 Sep 2022

At Least Two Investors to Submit Binding Bids for Alexandroupolis Port

© giannis / Adobe Stock

At least two investors are expected to submit binding bids on Thursday for a majority stake in Greece's northern port of Alexandroupolis, sources close to the process told Reuters.Near the borders with Bulgaria and Turkey, and with rail links and a floating gas regasification unit in the pipeline, Alexandroupolis has potential as a transport and energy hub for central Europe.Four investors were shortlisted last year for a 67% stake in the port: Quintana Infrastructure and Development…

12 Sep 2022

Iran to Release Crew of Two Seized Greek Tankers

Iran has agreed to release the crews of two Greek tankers it seized in May in response to the confiscation of oil by the United States from an Iranian-flagged tanker in Greece, a Greek seafarers union said.The months-long diplomatic impasse has strained relations between Athens and Tehran as tensions grow between Iran and the United States.The crews will be replaced, allowing their return to their countries of origin soon, the PENEN union for seafarers on commercial ships said on its website on Sunday. It was not clear whether the two Greek tankers, the MT Prudent Warrior and Delta Poseidon, would be released, it said.On Monday, the Greek shipping minister confirmed that one Delta Poseidon crew member was returning to Greece."A Greek sailor from the vessel Delta Poseidon…

15 Aug 2022

Iran Tanker Retrieves Oil Seized by U.S.

An Iranian-flagged tanker has retrieved an oil cargo which the United States had confiscated and is set to leave Greece, sources familiar with the matter said on Monday. The seizure from the Lana, formerly the Pegas, prompted Iranian forces in May to seize two Greek tankers in the Middle East Gulf, which have not yet been released. The United States had hired a tanker in April to impound the oil onboard the Lana tanker, which had been anchored off Greece. The oil was then partly removed and placed aboard the Ice Energy tanker, which had been chartered by Washington and had been expected to sail to United States before Greece's supreme court ruled that the cargo should be returned to Iran. "The reloading process is complete," one of the sources said.

27 Jul 2022

Greek High Court Rules to Return Confiscated Oil Cargo

Copyright PX Media/AdobeStock

An Iranian-flagged tanker anchored off Piraeus port is expected this week to retrieve part of its cargo which was confiscated by the United States and sail back to Iran, following a Greek top court ruling, government sources said on Wednesday. The case has strained relations between Athens and Tehran amid growing tensions between Iran and the United States.The removal of oil from the Lana, formerly Pegas, prompted Iranian forces to seize two Greek tankers in the Middle East Gulf which have not yet been released. "The (Greek) Supreme Court's ruling...

04 Jul 2022

Greece Can Cope With Possible Russian Gas Disruptions Thanks to LNG - Minister

Illustration only - An FSRU - Credit: Karel/AdobeStock

Greece can cope well with potential cuts in Russian gas supply due to the availability of liquefied natural gas (LNG) as an alternative, its energy minister said on Monday after a meeting with energy suppliers and grid operators on energy security.The country relied on Russian gas via the TurkStream pipeline for 40% of its needs last year. About 70% of its gas imports are used in power generation.Russian gas flows to Europe via Ukraine and the Nord Stream 1 pipeline have fallen this year after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February and Europe’s moves to impose sanctions on Moscow…

05 Jul 2022

Seized Iranian-flagged Tanker Taken to Piraeus Port

© milangonda / Adobe Stock

An Iranian-flagged tanker seized by Greece in April, part of whose cargo was confiscated by the United States, was being towed to the port of Piraeus on Saturday, Greek coast guard officials said, after Greek authorities approved its release.For over two months the Iranian-flagged Lana has been anchored off the Greek island of Evia in a diplomatic impasse which strained Athens' relations with Tehran amid growing tensions between Iran and the United States."It left Karystos at 06:30 am (0330 GMT) and is expected to reach Piraeus around 10:00 pm…

02 Mar 2022

EU Nations Considering Banning Russian Ships from Ports

(File photo: Sovcomflot)

European Union countries are considering a ban on Russian ships entering the bloc's ports, aiming to tighten sea restrictions after a halt on air traffic, European officials say, a step that would further hamper Russia's commercial shipments.Britain already decided on Monday to deny entry to British ports to all ships that are Russian owned, operated, controlled, chartered, registered or flagged. Canada followed on Tuesday, saying it would shut its ports to Russian-owned ships later this week, a day after it banned Russian crude oil imports.

21 Feb 2022

Greece Reports First Fatality after Blaze on Ferry, 10 Still Missing

©Hellenic Coastguard

Firefighters battling for a third day a blaze on a ferry sailing from Greece to Italy recovered on Sunday the body of a passenger listed as missing, Greek authorities said.It is the first reported fatality after rescuers managed to take at least 281 out of 292 passengers and crew to safety from a blaze which broke out on the Italian-flagged Euroferry Olympia early on Friday.The ferry had been on its way to the Italian port of Brindisi from Igoumenitsa in Greece when it was engulfed…

20 Oct 2021

Greece Wants 'Realistic' EU Green Policy for Shipping

© Sergii Figurnyi / Adobe Stock

EU shipping power Greece has told the European Commission that adding the industry to the bloc's carbon emissions trading scheme should be proportionate and tightly enforced to secure a level playing field for the European fleet in global markets.In a letter sent to Commission head Ursula von der Leyen, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said that countries should also get back the revenue raised by the costs their ships would pay and that money should be spent on decarbonizing maritime transport.Greek-owned vessels represent 58% of the EU's fleet…

30 Sep 2021

Greece Paves Way for China's COSCO to Raise Piraeus Port Stake

© milangonda / Adobe Stock

Greek lawmakers on Thursday approved an amended deal with Chinese shipping group COSCO that will allow it to raise its stake in Greece’s biggest port of Piraeus, paving the way for Greece to secure a major investment.Under a 2016 Greek privatisation deal, COSCO Shipping bought a 51% stake in Piraeus Port Authority (PPA) for 280 million euros ($328 million). It then committed to mandatory investments worth about 294 million euros over five years to purchase an additional 16% stake for 88 million euros.COSCO was due to fulfil this key condition by August…

30 Aug 2021

Cargo Ship Sinks Off Greece. All 16 Crew Rescued

A Togo-flagged cargo ship sank on Saturday after hitting Greek islets in the Aegean Sea but all 16 crew were rescued, the Greek coast guard said.The freighter Sea Bird, which sailed from Ukraine and was bound for Tunisia, sent a distress signal after sailing into rocky islets in the southwestern Aegean Sea, the coast guard said in a statement.Nearby vessels rescued all 16 Syrian crew, a coast guard official said.It was not immediately clear what caused the accident.Three anti-pollution vessels have rushed to the scene to check whether there was any leaking from the freighter, the coast guard added.(Reporting by Angeliki Koutantou; Editing by Angus MacSwan)