Greece seeks bidders for strategic port of Alexandroupolis

Thessaloniki Port Authority SA

13/07/2022 14:24

ATHENS, July 13 (Reuters) - Greece has set a deadline of
July 29 for binding bids for a majority stake in the port of
Alexandroupolis, the chief executive of the country's
privatisations agency said on Wednesday, as it seeks to
modernise the strategic asset. 
    Athens' quest to attract private investment in some of its
regional ports as part of wider privatisations to boost economic
growth has been delayed by uncertainty linked to the COVID-19
pandemic. 
    Already last year, four investors, including Quintana
Infrastructure and a joint venture of Cameron, Goldair Cargo and
Bollore Africa Logistics, were shortlisted for the sale of a
stake of at least 67% in the port.
    Situated in northern Greece, near its borders with Bulgaria
and Turkey and with rail links, Alexandroupolis has potential as
a transport and energy hub for central Europe. 
    Since 2011, Athens has raised 7.6 billion euros ($7.65
billion) in total from privatisations in response to three
international bailouts that ended in 2018.
    The agency will also set an Aug. 5 deadline for bids for a
majority stake in the northwestern port of Igoumenitsa, CEO
Dimitris Politis told reporters.
    In addition, the sale of gas company DEPA Infrastructure to
Italgas  IG.MI  will be finalised soon, Politis said. 
    "We expect any day now to set a date for the financial
closing," he said, adding the contractual obligation was to
conclude the sale by September.  
    Greece is due to get 476 million euros from that sale. 
    Together with a 1.5 billion euro long-term concession for
its longest highway Egnatia Odos, it is crucial to enabling the
country to meet an annual 2.2 billion euro revenue target from
state assets this year.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N2UP0Z9
    Politis said, however, Athens might miss a target to sign
off the Egnatia deal by the end of the year as financing
conditions have become tougher and different stakeholders needed
to conclude many steps.     
    Bureaucratic and other hurdles have previously meant that
many Greek privatisations have required extra time.
($1 = 0.9938 euros)

 (Reporting by Angeliki Koutantou; editing by Barbara Lewis)
 ((renee.maltezou@thomsonreuters.com; +30 210 3376439; Reuters
Messaging: renee.maltezou.reuters.com@reuters.net))