Marine Link
Thursday, March 28, 2024
SUBSCRIBE

Piraeus Port News

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…

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...

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…

08 Oct 2021

Greece Completes Transfer of 16% Stake in Piraeus Port to COSCO

© aerial-drone / Adobe Stock

Greece's privatizations agency transferred shares corresponding to a 16% stake in Piraeus Port Authority to Chinese port operator COSCO Shipping after an amendment to a previous concession agreement, it said on Thursday.Last month Greek lawmakers amended a deal with COSCO allowing 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 privatization deal, COSCO Shipping bought a 51% stake in Piraeus Port Authority for 280 million euros ($328 million) and committed to mandatory investments worth about 294 million euros over

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…

28 May 2021

COSCO Hopes for Greek Deal on Piraeus Despite Delay

© aerial-drone / Adobe Stock

Chinese shipping group COSCO hopes to reach a deal with the Greek government to complete the purchase of an extra stake in Piraeus, despite running out of time to fulfil a key condition, a top official at the port said.Under a 2016 Greek privatization agreement, COSCO Shipping bought a 51% holding in Piraeus Port Authority (PPA) for 280 million euros ($341 million) and committed to mandatory investments worth about 300 million euros over five years to acquire an additional 16%…

18 May 2021

Greek Island Corfu Welcomes First Cruise Ship of New Season

The Greek island of Corfu welcomed its first cruise ship of the new season on Tuesday, hoping much awaited tourists will help salvage losses incurred during 2020 due to the coronavirus.Corfu port authorities said some 600 tourists from countries including Italy, France and Germany were on board the Costa Luminosa, operated by Italy's Costa Cruises, and all safety measures were being adhered to in the port.Some of the passengers expressed their delight at being able to travel again."It's freedom, enjoying life, you really feel much better. You're not in prison anymore, you're free and that really does you good," said French tourist Robert Maran from Lyon.Greece opened its doors on Saturday to tourists from the EU and other key markets such as the United States…

01 Mar 2021

Israel Widens Search for Oil Spill Culprit After Ruling Out Ship in Greece

© tonguy324

Israel on Sunday broadened its search for the ship behind an oil spill that blackened its beaches with tar after investigators ruled out one of the suspected tankers.An Israeli team, in coordination with Greek authorities, carried out a surprise inspection of the Minerva Helen while it was docked at Athens’ Piraeus port. The ship is no longer suspected of being responsible for the spill, said Israel’s Ministry of Environmental Protection.Minerva Helen’s operator had denied any…

04 Feb 2021

Greek Cruise Operators Hope Vaccinations Will Help Save Summer Season

© Coprid / Adobe Stock

Greek cruise lines hope a swifter vaccination rollout and the government’s proposed vaccine certificates scheme can help get ships out of the docks where they have been idling empty for the past year and back to sea for the vital summer season.With international travel now at a near-standstill, saving at least part of the summer season will be vital, said George Koumpenas, Chief Operating Officer for Celestyal Cruises, a medium-sized operator that offers trips to the Aegean and…

27 Oct 2020

Greek Navy Vessel, Containership Collide off Piraeus Port

A Portuguese-flagged container vessel collided with a Greek navy minehunter off the Greek port of Piraeus early on Tuesday, seriously damaging the Greek ship, authorities said.TV images showed the navy vessel Kallisto tilting on its side and sinking, and a big part of its stern was missing. A tug boat later towed it to the Salamina naval base.Two people were slightly injured and transferred to hospital, a coast guard official said, adding that the Greek navy vessel’s 27-member crew had been taken to safety.The 266-metre long container ship Maersk Launceston was not damaged.It was not immediately clear how the collision happened, the official said.

29 Sep 2020

TUI Cruise Ship Crew Tests Negative for COVID-19 in Repeat Test

Twelve crew members of a cruise ship that docked at Piraeus port near Athens on Tuesday tested negative for the novel coronavirus in repeat checks by Greek health authorities, the ship's operator TUI Cruises said.The Mein Shiff 6 cruise ship had departed from Heraklion in Crete on Sunday with all 922 passengers having tested negative before boarding.But sample tests on 150 members out of the ship's total crew of 666, conducted at a land lab, detected 12 COVID-19 infections.Sailing off the island of Milos, the cruise liner made its way back to Piraeus, the country's biggest port, with better access to health services and equipped to deal with any emergency.

28 Sep 2020

Crew on TUI Cruise Ship Test Positive for Coronavirus

© Debbie Ann Powell / Adobe Stock

A cruise ship carrying about 920 passengers was expected to dock at Piraeus port near Athens, after 12 of its crew members tested positive for the coronavirus, an official at Greece's Civil Protection agency said on Monday.The Mein Shiff 6, operated by TUI Cruises, departed from Heraklion in Crete on Sunday with all passengers having tested negative before boarding.But sample tests on 150 crew members out of a total of 666, detected 12 infections. The ship's operators TUI Cruises said six of the 12 had since tested negative."They are all asymptomatic," the civil protection official said.

31 Mar 2020

Greece to Sell Majority Stakes in Four Ports

© giannis / Adobe Stock

Greece plans to sell majority stakes in four ports as part of a privatization plan agreed with its lenders after the country exited the bailouts in 2018, a document of its privatization agency (HRADF) showed on Tuesday.HRADF will sell majority stakes in the share capital of Alexandroupolis, Igoumenitsa, Heraklion and Volos ports, the agency said in an invitation to hire financial advisers for the sales released on this website.China's COSCO has bought a 51% stake in Piraeus Port, the country's biggest, in 2016.

14 Nov 2019

Cosco Acquires Stake in Greek Intermodal Firm

OceanRail Logistics, part of the Cosco Shipping Group, acquired 60% of the Greek railway company Piraeus Europe Asia Rail Logistics (PEARL) as part of its plan to develop its intermodal transport services network.OceanRail specializes in sea-rail intermodal transport with the Piraeus Port as the hub and related logistics business, while PEARL is a Greece-based company engaged in railway operations.The China-Europe Land-Sea Express Line, which starts from the Piraeus Port in Greece and expands to the hinterland of Central and Eastern Europe, covering North Macedonia, Serbia, Hungary, Austria, Czech Republic and Slovakia, is the third new trade corridor from the Far East to Europe and effectively connects the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road and the Silk Road Economic Belt.In 2019…

11 Nov 2019

$154.5Mln EIB backing for Greek Port

The European Investment Bank (EIB) on Monday formally agreed to provide 140 million euros (USD $154.5 million) to support expansion and upgrading of Piraeus Port, Greece's main port.The largest ever loan for port investment in the country by Europe’s long-term lending institution, will support the implementation of part of investments at the Port of Piraeus in a total investment plan of more than EUR 600 million. The 20-year loan was signed in Athens in the presence of Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Xu Lirong, Chairman of COSCO Shipping Corporation, by Andrew McDowell, European Investment Bank Vice President, the Chairman of Piraeus Port Authority S.A.

25 Oct 2019

PIRAEUS I Floating Dock Ready for Ops

Greece's Piraeus Port Authority (PPA) announced that the "PIRAEUS I" floating dock is available again for ship repair works."PIRAEUS I floating dock has been delivered for use and is operating again after scheduled maintenance works," said an announcement from PPA.PIRAEUS I is 202 m. long, with inner width 31 meters, has lifting capacity of 15,000 tons and can serve ships with capacity of 40,000 tons.During the first nine months of 2019, the ship repair activity at the port of Piraeus is showing an increase, despite the temporary suspension of PIRAEUS I floating dock operations, as the ships in docks increased by + 11% and the ships under repair in Ship Repair Zone increased by 7.4% compared to the same period of 2018.The Management of PPA S.A.

10 Oct 2019

Greece Trims Piraeus Port investment plan

File Image: A Piraeus cruise terminal berth (CREDIT: AdobeStock / © anastasiia Usoltceva)

Greece has trimmed an investment plan by Piraeus Port Authority (PPA) to boost operations at one of Europe's largest harbours, rejecting proposals for a new container terminal.PPA, majority owned by China's COSCO Shipping , had submitted to Greece's shipping ministry an 800-million-euro plan, which included a new cruise ship terminal, a mall and four hotels in the port.PPA had also proposed to build a fourth container terminal that would boost Piraeus' total throughput to 10 million…

26 Mar 2019

Piraeus Port Wins Environment Award

Piraeus Port Authority SA (PPA) was honored with a Special Award in the "Environment" category for the "Environmental Quality Monitoring Programs in collaboration with Academic Institutions and Special Scientific Associates” during the 4th Annual Sustainability Summit 2019, organized by the Centre for Sustainability and Excellence (CSE) in cooperation with the MBA International of the Athens University of Economics and Business.Upon receipt of the award, Mr. Nektarios Demenopoulos, Deputy Manager of Public Relations, Investor Relations & Company Announcements Department, stated: “For Piraeus Port Authority, the environmental protection is not only a priority but a part of its everyday business activities and an important criterion for any action it implements.

17 Feb 2019

Viking Jupiter Met with Minor Accident at Piraeus Port

Piraeus Port Authority S.A welcomed newly built cruise ship of Norwegian Viking Ocean Cruises' Viking Jupiter and handed an honorary plaque to the Cruise Director Mark Andrew Brignone and books for the ship's library.However, the Norwegian cruiser got into a minor accident while docking at a pier in the port.According to media reports, the cruiser with 607 passengers and 483 crew members on board was at the process of arrival when it crashed with the right side due to the stormy winds.Stormy winds were the cause of the cruise accident, since they forcibly hit the vessel’s right hull to the pier. The vessel suffered minor damages include a crack of about 10 cm.The cruise ship Viking Jupiter is 230 meters long with capacity 950 passengers…

12 Feb 2019

Piraeus Port Signs MoU with Italian Ports

The Greek port of Piraeus signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Italy’s port authorities from the cities of Venice and Chioggia.The agreement seeks to develop port services and promote increased trade flow between Europe, the Mediterranean and the Far East.The MoU was signed during a meeting between the chairman and CEO of Piraeus port Fu Chengqiu and the president of the Northern Adriatic Sea Port Authority (Venice and Chioggia) Pino Musolino.The MoU envisages cooperation in improving the exchange of best practices and knowhow in port management, particularly in IT, attracting investments and communications."The common target is to improve the performance of the two ports…

20 Apr 2018

EU Suspects Tax Fraud at China's New Gateway to Europe

© milangonda / Adobe Stock

European Union and Italian authorities are investigating suspected wide-scale tax fraud by Chinese criminal gangs importing goods via Greece’s largest port of Piraeus, a trade gateway between China and Europe, officials said.“The VAT is completely evaded, with enormous damage to the national tax authorities and to the community,” Fabio Botto, of the Italian Central Anti-fraud Office’s special investigative unit, said in an interview.He said the suspected scam at Piraeus, part of China’s vast Belt and Road infrastructure project…

18 Apr 2018

Greek Ferries Idled as Mariners Strike

Greek ferries remained docked at the country's ports on Wednesday as seamen, marine engineers and ship cooks walked off the job to protest against planned government reforms which they say will further hurt their labour rights. The 24-hour strike was organised by Greece's seamen federation (PNO), which said the leftist-led government was preparing a reform allowing non-European flagged transport ships to sail in Greece, leading to job losses for Greek crews. The reform is coming on top of pension cuts, rising unregistered labour and work without any insurance, PNO said. "The planned dismantling and the annihilation of our legal rights, and the continuing effort to ruin Greek seamen, cannot and will not stay unanswered," PNO said, promising to escalate labour action.

14 Feb 2018

Port of Piraeus Profit Up by 92%

The Piraeus Port Authority S.A. (PPA) 2017 financial report revealed profits before tax amounted to â‚¬21.2 million ($26.19 mln) compared to â‚¬11.0 million ($13.59 mln) in the year 2016, showing an increase of 92 percent. Turnover amounted to €111.5 million compared to €103.5 million in the corresponding period of 2016, showing an increase of 7.7 percent. The operations at the container terminal showed significant increase in revenue by € 7million (53.1 percent), where container throughput increased by 70.6 percent, meaning 453.264 TEU compared to 265.716 TEU in 2016, while the income from the concession fee of the Pier II and Pier III increased approximately by €3.4 million (8.4 percent).