Greece has received three bids for the acquisition of the 67 percent stake in the Thessaloniki Port Authority, the second largest port in the country, the Greek privatizations agency, Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund, informed.
The bids were submitted on March 24 by the Philippines-based International Container Terminal Services (ICTS), UK-based Peninsular and Oriental (P&O) Steam Navigation Company (owned by DP World) and German private equity firm Deutsche Invest Equity Partners GmbH.
HRADF added that the tender evaluation process would now be launched.
The port is being privatized under the same terms as its counterpart Piraeus, the majority stake of which was officially acquired by China’s port operator Cosco Group (Hong Kong) Limited in August 2016.
The sale of the 67 percent stake of the Piraeus Port Authority (PPA) and Thessaloniki Port Authority (THPA), which are being privatized within Greece’s bailout plan, was launched in 2014.
The buyer of the majority stake in Thessaloniki is reportedly expected to invest up to EUR 180 million in port development by 2021.
World Maritime News Staff