The Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund announces that four regional ports under the Fund's portfolio have secured €10 million in funding from the European Commission's Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) programme for the development of cold ironing infrastructure and related studies. 

The proposal submitted to the CEF for the four Port Authorities, called "DECOMPRESS" (DEcarbonizing the Greek COMPREHENsive Ports), aims to transform them into greener and technologically advanced ports by implementing environmental projects to reduce their carbon footprint and improve the quality of life of the residents of the surrounding areas. 

The Lavrio Port Authority played a key role in the submission of the proposal, coordinating the relevant procedures, while the Sustainable Development, ESG, and Climate Change Directorate of the Hellenic Fund for Reconstruction and Development organised the participation in this initiative of three other Port Authorities of the Fund, namely Rafina, Kavala, and Corfu. A total of 408 proposals were submitted for CEF funding, and 134 were approved.

The European funds, coming from the last call of the Cohesion Fund envelope of the Connecting Europe Facility II, will be allocated within the next four years for the construction of four (4) vessel electrification sites at four (4) coastal service locations in the port of Rafina and the preparation of technical studies for nine (9) electrification sites in the port of Lavrio, 11 sites in the port of Corfu, and nine (9) in the port of Kavala. The partners in the proposal are the four (4) ports, the Hellenic Ministry of Finance, the Hellenic Public Utility Company, the Hellenic National Research Institute, and the companies Protasis, Hydrus, and Gates. 

Securing funds from the CEF reinforces the national objective for the energy transformation of Greek ports, as our country now has access to an important financial instrument that will contribute to its compliance with European regulations. More specifically, under the "Fit for 55%" package of measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55% in 2030 compared to 1990 levels, European ports are required to develop by the end of the decade a shore-based electricity supply infrastructure for ships at berth.