The results will be seen in a few years and will be concrete, sustainable, valuable, for an increase in commercial and tourist traffic. With these modernization premises, the Grimaldi Group has acquired 67% of the capital of the company that manages the port of Heraklion on the island of Crete.
The transfer of the majority share of the capital of the Port Authority of the ancient Venetian port to a Consortium led by the Grimaldis with the subsidiary Minoan Lines, provides for an investment of 80 million euro in a short time.
The Neapolitan group was awarded an international tender as part of the plan to rationalize ports throughout Greece. There are dozens of them and as history tells us they have been decisive and strategic on many occasions.
They must be modernized taking into account European programs on the lower environmental impacts of merchant or cruise ships. The use of clean fuels or non-polluting systems is an open issue in the EU.
The privatization of public goods
The Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund (HRADF) is the fund that is carrying out the privatization of public assets in Greece. And port assets are notoriously crucial in the national economy. In fact, foreign shipping companies are the ones most willing to invest. Furthermore, the Grimaldis are also involved in the other large port of Igoumenitsa . Again they acquired a majority stake in the Port Authority.
Both operations are geared towards environmental sustainability, he says Emmanuel Grimaldi, president and CEO of Grimaldi Euromed Spa. “We have long been the main customer of this port of Heraklion through our subsidiary Minoan Lines, which has its headquarters in Heraklion. We intend to facilitate sustainable growth, in particular, through investments in renewable energy sources and we intend to make Heraklion a truly green port and a point of reference for the entire Mediterranean port industry".
Making Crete an international transit center for the Mediterranean is the idea of the government represented at the signing of the agreement by three ministers: that of Finance, Kostis Hatzidakis, of Shipping and Insular Policies, Christof Stylianides, is from the Rural Development and Food Department Lefteris Avgenaki.
The presence and strengthening of maritime traffic by Italian shipowners is also considered relevant for the contribution they offer at European level for a new management of ports also related to energy transport by sea.
