What are the major PPP projects they are taking forward

her Eleni Bota

4 billion Euro projects to be implemented through Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) are in the planning and tendering process.

One of the major projects expected to be auctioned in the next period is the Havria dam with a budget of 85.4 million euros.

According to the competent bodies, the feasibility of the project concerns the water supply of the Municipal Units of Polygyros and Ormylia of the Municipality of Polygyros, Kassandra and Pallini of the Municipality of Kassandra, Sithonia and Toroni of the Municipality of Sithonia, as well as to the Local and Municipal Communities.

With the project, the water needs of 33% of the total water needs of Halkidiki will be met, the major problem of water scarcity in the wider region of Halkidiki will be addressed and the irrigation of 24,000 acres will be ensured.

The implementation of the project will significantly contribute to addressing the chronic problem of the Halkidiki region in access to sufficient quantities and good quality of drinking water and to the optimization of existing water storage methods and the creation of new ones.

It is recalled that three consortia had shown interest in the project: a) UNION OF PERSONS GEK TERNA – CHR. D. KONSTANTINIDIS, b) ASSOCIATION OF COMPANIES INTRAKAT – SUEZ EAU FRANCE SAS – EYATH SERVICES S.A., c) AKTOR CONCESSIONS S.A.

In addition, five projects approaching 1.5 billion euros have already matured and been forwarded to the PPP General Secretariat. These include two projects of great importance for the local communities, the Enipeos Dams in Farsala and the Tavronitis Dams in Chania.

The “Projects to Utilize the Water Potential of the Tavronitis River P.E. Chania Crete”, with a budget of 160 million euros, will serve irrigation purposes for the irrigation of highly productive agricultural lands, such as the high area of ​​Platanias and Western Kissamos. It will save water for other uses, such as the water supply of settlements and tourist facilities, and will essentially contribute to the flood protection of the areas of the Tavronitis river basin.

In addition, it also has an important environmental dimension, with the prevention of the phenomenon of desertification due to the surging of pumped water in Falassarna, as well as the reduction of pressure in important underground aquifers, such as that of Koleni.

As for the Enipea dam, with a budget of 185.5 million euros, its main purpose is to irrigate tens of thousands of acres of agricultural land.

Also, within the next few weeks, the tender for the establishment of an Operation and Maintenance Agency of the Thessaloniki Metro, worth 293 million euros, is expected to be announced.

In the field of road projects, the FlyOver in Thessaloniki, the Kalamata – Rizomylos – Pylos – Methoni section and also the Hersonissos – Neapoli section of BOAK which follows in chronological order, are in the final stage of their contracting, after the announcement of their temporary contractors.

For the first two projects for which the tender procedures preceded, these are expected to be contracted within the Autumn and immediately after that the works will begin, while correspondingly for the BOAK project there is a road race by the ministry and in this project its contracting should take place within of the year.

The External Water Supply System of Attica with a budget of 234.86 million euros is also an important project, as it will ensure for 20 years the maintenance and operation of an old network and its efficient operation. The goal is to have a temporary contractor in place by the end of the year.

With the financial contribution of the Recovery Fund, both clusters of the Regional Operational Centers of the Civil Protection are moving forward and binding offers will be requested by the end of the summer.

Accordingly, binding offers will probably be requested from the participants for all 17 school units in Central Macedonia in June.

The last two building projects that are in the tender process concern the new modern bioclimatic building of the General Secretariat of Infrastructure which is in the B’ phase and follows the cluster of Courthouses of Central Macedonia, for which the A’ Phase of the tender is expected to be completed in June and to move directly to phase B, which includes the reconstruction of an emblematic project of the Thessaloniki Courthouse.