Shipyard

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.

Salamis Shipyards on Monday announced the successful completion, on October 10 and 11, of the work for the reactivation of the first two Island-class patrol vessels, as well as all the tests, with the two vessels now docked at the Salamis Naval Station.

Investments in the shipbuilding industry will be considered of strategic importance, Development Minister Takis Theodorikakos said on Wednesday during his visit to Elefsis Shipyards, close to Piraeus. He added that the shipbuilding industry will offer more opportunities for safe employment for young people who want to work and produce in this area.

A fire broke out at BAE Systems' shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness, located in north-west England, which is responsible for constructing the new generation of British nuclear submarines. Authorities have confirmed that there is no nuclear risk associated with the incident, as reported by Reuters.

Skaramanga shipyards have already started commercial activities from February 2024 after shipowner Giorgos Prokopiou took over ownership of the shipyards.

The company’s management has placed emphasis on two things, upgrading the equipment – as no heavy maintenance had been done in the last 15 years – and opening up their commercial activity.

The famous yacht Savarona, which hosted modern Türkiye founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in the final years of his life, has been launched into the sea following the completion of maintenance and repair activities.

Dana Island off the coast of Antalya was home to the largest and oldest untouched shipyard in the world, according to Associate Professor Hakan Öniz, who discovered the shipyard in 2015

A 32% jump has been registered so far this year in orders worldwide for newbuild tankers, with Greek shipping having the largest share.

Since the start of 2024, 104 tankers have been added to the global order book, compared to 79 in the corresponding period of 2023.

Greece's revitalized shipbuilding industry will be prominently represented during Posidonia 2024, signaling a strong recovery following decades of decline and disrepair.

Slowly but surely, ship numbers and the volume of ship repair work in Greece are increasing, creating expectations that the country can once again become the ship repair hub of the Eastern Mediterranean.

The development of this activity by Piraeus Port Authority (OLP) as well as ONEX Neorion Shipyards (Syros), and at the Elefsis and Skaramangas shipyards, is evident.