Three key mandatory investment projects in port of Piraeusafter the relevant decision of his suspension committee State Council which was discussed on March 24, 2023 after the appeal of the mayors (Keracinio-Perama) and residents of the district in 2021.

This is the southern extension of Piraeus port, which will allow large cruise ships (more than 300 meters) to moor, giving impetus to cruise development and strengthening efforts, the dredging project in the central port of Piraeus, but also the expansion of the port of Heraklion.

According to the project study, the expansion of the Herakleos Pier Car Service Station at Keratsini Commercial Port provides for a 35-acre expansion of the pier. Its new dimensions will be platforms with a length of 1100 m, a functional depth of 12.50 m and a total area of ​​110,000 m2. In addition, the project includes the improvement and modernization of existing port and electromechanical facilities.

Decision 47/2023 of the Council of State essentially states that in order to issue an AEPO (Decision on the Issue of Environmental Conditions) in order for specific projects to proceed, it must be accompanied by and take into account the study of port traffic which investigates the traffic load in the area, extracts specific data on whether the port burdens the city, and submits proposals accordingly.

The decision stated that in view of the interrelationship and complementarity of the stages of environmental licensing plans and projects, as well as the provisions of the new Attica regulatory plan for the functional interconnection of port activities with the urban fabric through integrated traffic planning, as well as for training the plan specialist with traffic management directions for tourism requirements, which will come from the cruise, perhaps, and at the same time it is necessary to prepare a comprehensive traffic study at the stage of environmental licensing of projects, either when finalizing already approved ones, or when approving new ones.

With regard to dredging in the port of the southern part for cruise and dredging in the main port and the port of Hercules, it is emphasized that the environmental permit cannot be issued before the approval of the circulation study after consultation.

He notes that the aforementioned projects involve interventions that may cause reparable damage because they are connected, like the project to create a new port for cruise ships, with the problem of managing and disposing of dredgers that will arise, for which another method PPA SA is looking for a solution in particular , disposal of dredgers at licensed land facilities instead of offshore disposal, or their integration into cement boxes of another port project.

It is noted that the Piraeus Port Authority has already completed a traffic study, which was submitted as an annex to the Strategic Environmental Impact Study to the Environmental Licensing Division of the Ministry of the Environment. However, in order to approve the traffic study and the environmental impact study, they must first be consulted by the relevant ministries and departments, as well as the regional council, in order to obtain a final opinion. Then all projects will be relicensed from scratch. It is noted that the petition for the cancellation of the mentioned appeal of the municipalities of the region (Keratsini-Perama) was decided to be discussed at the plenary session of the court, after a delay, on September 22, 2023.

What projects are excluded?

It is noted that the only exception to the decision of the Council of Europe to suspend are projects for the modernization and maintenance of port infrastructure. One of them concerns the underground connection of the car terminal with the former ODDY site, with an initial budget of 5 million euros. This is a project that the Supreme Court believes is aimed at improving traffic conditions in the area by bypassing Democracy Avenue for vehicles that will move to the port.

Also excluded are projects for dredging and expansion of the sea front of Perama private shipyards to restore operating levels, as well as the construction and operation of a high-medium voltage substation in the commercial port.

Source: RES-IPE