APM Terminals

APM Terminals, a port operator owned by AP Moeller-Maersk, is looking for new ports to invest in Turkey, where the container business offers huge growth potential in the long-term, said the company's Turkey chief.

State sell-off fund TAIPED intends to sell 67 percent of Thessaloniki Port Authority (OLTH) in a single transaction and not in two packages, as previously announced and as was the case with Piraeus Port Authority, while the submission of binding offers is to be put off till early 2017.

Three out of the eight parties interested in purchasing a majority stake in Thessaloniki Port Authority (OLTH) have dropped out of the race, as only five of the original candidates have responded to a new invitation for expressions of interest by state privatization fund TAIPED.

The Turkish branch of Azeri energy giant SOCAR will open the Petlim Container Port in the Aegean Sea this September to become an alternative to Greece's Piraeus Port for container shipments, according to Kenan Yavuz, the head of SOCAR Turkey and a board member of Petkim Petrochemical Holding.

Three companies were asked to submit binding bids for 51% of the PPA by the government, according to Reuters. Cosco, Dutch APM Terminals as well as Ports of America, ICTS and Utilico have progressed to the second phase of negotiations.

Greece has asked three firms to submit binding bids by September for a majority stake in the country's biggest port, Piraeus (OLPr.AT), a senior privatization official told Reuters on Thursday, unblocking a major asset sale.

PPA (Piraeus Port Autority)’s majority stock is to be put up for sale by the Greek government.

According to the Wall Street Journal, which quotes a top government official, the new proposal will be forwarded to interested parties next week. Remuneration from the privatization will be lower.

By Nikos Roussanoglou

The subject of the first clash within the government appears to be the country?s main ports ? specifically the privatization of the port authorities of Piraeus and Thessaloniki.

The Economic Chamber of Macedonia, which has launched the initiative for a joint purchase of shares in Macedonia’s main maritime transport hub - which is now being privatized - says they are not discouraged by tough tendering conditions.