Ferry reactions for the submarine link Salamina – Perama

of Eleni Botas

The project of the submarine link Salamina – Perama, a project that is expected to be auctioned in the coming months, with a total budget of 500 million euros, provokes reactions in the ferries of the region.

According to the Salamina Ferries Consortium in their observations, in the Environmental Impact Study of the project (the consultation of which was recently completed) the wider social, environmental and economic impacts from the location of the project have not been properly assessed.

In particular, the ships that currently serve the Perama Paloukia line are more than 40 in number, state-of-the-art two-way ships that surpass those of Europe and today adorn the Greek Merchant Fleet of Greece, built in Greece with more than 300 Greek sailors, ie those Greek sailors work on about 70 cargo ocean-going ships.

Each of them has at least 10 shareholders (ie more than 400 families). The total monthly salary of the crews of these 40 ships exceeds 520,000, ie 6,240,000 per year. From the operation of these ships, NAT receives annually 2,500,000 and the Municipal Port Fund of Salamina more than 800,000 euros without credit. At the same time, 70 permanent jobs are covered for the inland support of the operation of the ships and the corresponding insurance contributions are paid uninterruptedly. In other words, more than 800 families live on this line alone, with the exception of the other families that support the construction and maintenance of ships “, they state in the remarks.

Also as they state “can not be overlooked the range (most of which are active in the greater area of ​​Piraeus, Drapetsona, Perama, Salamina) and employees who support their operation in the development of know-how in the work, supply, maintenance and construction of ships in the category of those who provide interconnection services Perama – Paloukia Salamina.

“Therefore, the state’s attention is required both to avoid the creation of social problems, such as the loss of a large number of maritime jobs and related employment, and to avoid the devaluation of significant operating investments that constitute ships,” they point out.

Finally, as they emphasize, with the construction of the bridge, it is certain that more than 40 ships (shipping companies) will suffer financial damage and even bankruptcy. “The unfounded claim of the EIA that the ships will remain and work on the line in parallel with the link is arbitrary and does not correspond to reality as:

a. It should not be overlooked that the operation of the tunnel creates conditions for the launch of the ships of the line Perama – Paloukia Salamina on other ferry lines, as a result of which it seriously affects the business activity of the ships already launched on these lines but also creates suffocation and conditions that will discourage any efforts to renew and modernize the ferries.

b. The more than 40 ships will be scattered on all ferry lines of Greece with disastrous consequences for all ferries in Greece.

Or the sailors working in them will be decommissioned as a result.

c. Also, many other companies related to shipping will suffer maximum financial loss such as shipyards, machine shops, shipping stores, etc. as well as a number of employees who offer their services on land, ie cashiers, collectors, auditors.

d. Also, the state will lose significant revenues from Port Funds, mooring fees, taxes on ships, etc. “, it is typically stated.

Danger from the small thickness of the tunnel

According to the ferry consortium in the project EIA for the tunnel is provided, “the construction of a 1.00m thick layer of cobblestone on the tunnel shell in case of falling and dragging an anchor mass of 15.4 t (corresponds to a 100,000 DWT tanker. However, as the adjacent Skaramaga Shipyards but also the Elefsina Shipyards (access to them is done only from the Perama – Salamina Strait_ have much larger tanks (500,000 t, 250,000 t, 120,000 t) which means that they are going to be tanked, tankers up to 500,000 DW , well above the planned safety standards of the submarine link (100,000 DTW), resulting in a serious risk of maritime accident.