Green Award

Thessaloniki Port Authority S.A. an operating company that manages the Port of Thessaloniki, announced that the port has entered the Green Award certification program and will be provide an incentive to Green Award ships calling at the port.

The Port of Thessaloniki is one of the most important ports in South Eastern Europe, serving an enlarged hinterland of countries. Due to its advantageous geographical location and its excellent road links and train connections, it is the largest transit-trade port in the country and it services the needs of approximately 15 million inhabitants of its international mainland. As part of a broader plan to keep pace with the governmental and society efforts to combat climate change, the company has chosen to support Green Award certificate holders.

Green Award certifies ships that demonstrate high safety and quality standards and excellent environmental performance. The Port of Thessaloniki offers a 15% discount on the port dues to the Green Award vessels starting 1st of January 2019.

Green Award’s Chairman, Captain Dimitrios Mattheou, handed over a Green Award plaque to Thessaloniki Port Authority S.A. on 8 March, 2019. He said: ‘As the Chairman of the Green Award Foundation, as an experienced Man of Shipping but above all as a Greek originating from a nation that keeps the position of the leading country of Shipping and the native country of Seamen globally, I feel very proud to welcome the very first Greek seaport as our new incentive provider to the Green Award Foundation. I certainly expect that this frontrunner role worthy taken by the Port of Thessaloniki will both stimulate the local and peripheral shipping society and generate high interest of other ports to follow this eminent example and become part of this global green team. The port of Thessaloniki, from now on, as a member of our global port community will use the Green Award program as a tool to improve the environmental and safety standards in shipping. Furthermore, with an incentive equaling a 15% discount on the port fees, proudly offered by The Port of Thessaloniki, ship owners will certainly be motivated and promptly activated to the implementation of the Green Award standards aiming to safer and cleaner shipping. The port of Thessaloniki joins forces with 36 other ports spread globally and more than 75 other incentive providers with a prominent presence of several Greek maritime service providers. Together we contribute globally to sustainable waterborne transport.”

Green Award network of incentive providers has been growing very fast in the past few years. Incentive providers are ports, companies operating in the shipping industry and organisations providing maritime related products en services that voluntarily join Green Award to encourage ships with safe and green performance. Green Award incentive providers carry on an important socially responsible mission by contributing to mitigation of negative effects of shipping on the ocean and improvement of welfare of seafarers through the Green Award program.