Greek shipbuilding is in a phase of ambitious expansion thanks to significant investments, but requires a regulatory framework from Athens and Brussels that will shield it from unfair competition from Asian shipyards, local shipbuilding company chiefs told a conference last week.
Panos Xenokostas, chairman and CEO of Onex Shipyards & Technologies Group that has invested in the Elefsis and Neorio shipyards in western Attica and on Syros, respectively, told the Greener Shipping Summit 2024 that the vision is to turn the shipyards into hubs providing a wider range of services, such as construction of tugs and other special ships, building and maintaining Hellenic Navy vessels, and the construction and operation of floating generators for offshore wind farms.”
Xenokostas then reiterated the need for the development of Greek and European legislation and regulatory frameworks in order to limit unfair competition from Asian shipyards, so as to revive the industry both in this country and in the European Union.
For his part, Miltiadis Varvitsiotis, CEO of Skaramangas Shipyards, the historic shipyard now owned by shipowner George Procopiou, noted that it is essential to improve industrial capabilities of the facilities.
In his address to the same conference, organized by Newsfront/Naftiliaki under the auspices of the Marine Technical Managers Association (Martecma), at the Eugenides Foundation, the former shipping minister said: “The goal and challenge for Skaramangas Shipyards is to be able to repair LNG carriers, being the only shipyard in Greece and one of the few in Europe that will serve these ships. Also, another of our goals is the creation of a new floating dock, which will be able to serve ships of smaller size than suezmaxes and aframaxes.”
He declared that the industry is in a phase of revival and expansion after the investments by Procopiou and Xenokostas, saying “this know-how and this workforce should be capitalized in order for modern ships to be built in Greece.”
Varvitsiotis added that “megayachts are another pillar of focus of Skaramangas Shipyards, as well as ship construction and repair for vessels of the Hellenic Navy and the Hellenic Coast Guard. An equally important goal is to disseminate new knowledge and provide continuous training to shipyard employees.”