The New Deepwater Berths of Cruise Terminal at Piraeus Port Started Construction

On February 25, 2020, Greek local time, a ceremony marking the start of construction work on the cruise terminal expansion project at the Port of Piraeus was held at the port’s cruise passenger terminal Themistocles. Over300 guests attended the event, including Greek Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy Mr. Ioannis Plakiotakis, Greek Minister of Finance Mr. Christos Staikouras, Greek Minister of Tourism Mr. Charis Theocharis, Greek Vice Minister of Development and Investment Mr. Nikos Papathanasis, Chinese Ambassador to Greece Ms. Zhang Qiyue, Attica Regional Governor Mr. George Patoulis, Piraeus Mayor Mr. Yannis Moralis and representatives of cruise companies.

 

Chairman of Piraeus Port Authority S.A. Mr. Yu Zenggang said in his speech that in 2019, tourist arrivals in Greece reached 36.85 million, while cruise ships at Piraeus received 1.1 million tourists, indicating that the cruise business enjoys broad prospects and potential opportunities. The deepwater berths construction complies with the trend of large-sized cruise ships. Upon its completion in 2023, it will lay the groundwork for the further development of Greek tourism resource, cement Piraeus’ position as the cruise home port in the Mediterranean and spur Greece’s tourist economy.

 

Noting the current COVID-19 has drawn worldwide attention, he was convinced that with supports from all over the world, the Chinese government could effectively control the epidemic and win the battle against the virus. The friendly Greek people and the warm Aegean sunshine will attract more and more Chinese tourists, who will give a push to the Greek tourism industry.

 

Mr. Ioannis Plakiotakis said that the Master Plan for the Port of Piraeus is the goal and blueprint for Piraeus’ future development, as well as a requirement to boost its terminal competitiveness. He said under the leadership of the Greek government, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy will continue to help the port to implement  the Master Plan, adding that the Greek government is confident in building the cruise terminal into the hub of its kind in the Mediterranean. 

 

Mr. Georgos Patoulis said that the location of Piraeus Port determines its important position in the Mediterranean and even Europe, but only when infrastructure has been in place will attract more tourists, cargoes and vessels. Attica will continue to help Piraeus Port obtain EU loans more quickly, and turn it into a green, modern and people-oriented port with support from local governments at all levels. In the end, he offered his heartfelt sympathies to the Chinese people in the fight against COVID-19.

 

Hailing the services provided by Piraeus Port, the representatives of Carnival Cruise Lines and Royal Caribbean Cruises expressed the hope of strengthening cooperation with Piraeus after the completion of the new deepwater berths and placed high expectations on their future cooperation with COSCO SHIPPING.

 

The new deepwater berths construction is the first mandatory investment made by Piraeus Port Authority S.A. in implementing the Master Plan. Upon completion, the new two berths will be capable of accommodating the world’s largest cruise ship with a length of 360 meters and a passenger capacity of 6,000. In 2019, cruise ships at Piraeus Port received nearly 1.1 million passengers, once again topping the 1 million mark, and the figure is expected to maintain an annual growth rate of 5-8% for the next three years.

 

Source:COSCO SHIPPING

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