Port of Piraeus: Green light for the extension of the cruise pier – Which projects are unfrozen

The “green light” to start a series of projects that had been stopped in the previous period in the port of Piraeus, due to a legal action by the mayors of the region, is given by the issuance of a decision on environmental conditions by the competent department of the Ministry of the Environment, which includes the traffic study.

Among these projects is the extension to the southern cruise pier where it will allow the docking of large cruise ships as well as the dredging in the central port of Piraeus.

These projects had been stopped after an appeal by mayors of the region to the Council of State, which had stated that the Decision Issuing Environmental Conditions should be compulsorily accompanied by a traffic study, taking into account the traffic loads of the area.

Also, the CoS had pointed out that the disposal of the dredges from the projects should be done in licensed land facilities, instead of dumping them in a sea area or integrating them into cement boxes of another port project.

According to information, the Piraeus Port Authority for this issue has already signed a contract with a private company.

The new cruise pier, which is expected to start in the next period after receiving the relevant permits from the Ministry of Shipping, is a project that is also significantly subsidized by the European Union, with a total budget of 136.2 million euros, while it is located in the windward area of the entrance of the port, southwest of Themistokleous pier.

Its construction will allow the docking of large cruise ships (over 300 meters), giving impetus to efforts to develop and strengthen the cruise industry.

What are the projects?

The projects of the port of Piraeus, the construction of which is subject to the conditions of the present decision of the Ministry of the Environment, are as follows: Expansion of the Passenger Port of Piraeus – South Side, dredging of the central port, reconstruction of a stone warehouse into a Museum, construction and operation of the National Museum of Marine Antiquities, infrastructure improvement Perama Shipbuilding and Repair Base, conversion of the pentagonal warehouse into a cruise terminal, new office building at the facilities of the Passenger Terminal, construction and operation of a high voltage/medium voltage substation with construction and operation of electrical stations and facilities for shore-based electrification of docked ships, as well as projects configuration of the shipbuilding and repair port of Perama.

Also included are projects for the overall traffic study and the creation of a network of eco buses within the land area of the Central Port to serve passengers and workers and the connection with the Metro, ISAP, Suburban and the closest to the port of Piraeus Tram stops and bus lines.

Also included is the supply of corporate electric buses, the operation of lines for the transport of PPA employees to and from their workplaces, as well as the transport of all the passengers of the cruise ships that will be served by the new Southern Extension project by means of a special shuttle boat, to and from the Peace and Friendship Stadium for boarding and disembarking the tourist buses.

Cruise ship passenger arrivals

An increase in cruise ship arrivals and cruise passengers was noted in the eight months of 2023 compared to 2022 at the port of Piraeus, which is among the top cruise ports in the Mediterranean.

According to PPA data, in the period January-August 2023 there was an increase in the total number of passengers by 85% compared to 2022.

Specifically, in the eight months of 2023, 928,357 passengers were transported compared to 500,905 in the same period in 2022, with 78% of ships and 55% of passengers performing homeporting (departure and arrival at the same port).

Ship arrivals in the same period reached 478 in 2023, compared to 419 in 2022, an increase of 14%.

It is noted that PPA SA participated with its own stand in the European cruise exhibition “Seatrade Europe, Cruise & River Cruise Convention 2023”, which this year was held from September 6 to 8 in Hamburg.

SeaTrade Europe is one of the most important exhibitions in the cruise sector and brings together all the leaders of the industry over time, who have the opportunity to exchange views and discuss the latest trends and developments around cruising based on innovation, excellence and sustainability in the relevant port operations.