7 big infrastructure projects in Thrace, Greece’s new “investment El Dorado”

Usually when we talk about infrastructure projects, we think of Athens or Thessaloniki, and our minds don’t particularly go to the regions. However, today on ypodomes.com, we will focus on an area where the projects undertaken in recent years demonstrate mobility and development prospects, without meaning that there aren’t many more that can be done.

Since the war in Ukraine, the region of Thrace, especially the area of Evros, has been a subject of discussion regarding how the area can evolve into a hub for connecting the Black Sea with the Aegean.

For example, for the past decade, discussions have revolved around the famous Sea2Sea project, which aims to connect Greece with Bulgaria via railway. Additionally, the port of the city is considered to potentially play a significant role in freight transportation and serve as an energy hub.

However, projects are not only being planned but also implemented in the region of Evros, as well as in the areas of Komotini and Xanthi. Today on ypodomes.com, we have identified 5+2 projects that are either being implemented or will be implemented in Thrace, constituting the major projects of this region of the country.

We will be looking at the projects for the Power Plant in Komotini, the completion of the Alexandroupoli Ring Road, the FSRU (Floating Storage Regasification Unit) at the port of Alexandroupoli, the new General Hospital of Komotini, the natural gas connection projects between Alexandroupoli and Komotini, as well as three upcoming projects for the region, including the railway lines Alexandroupoli-Ormenio and Kavala-Xanthi, and the new student dormitories of the Democritus University of Thrace.

Komotini’s power plant factory

The Komotini Thermal Power Plant, a joint venture with each holding a 50% stake, between Motor Oil Renewable Energy (MORE) and GEK TERNA, awarded the construction of the station to TERNA S.A. This, in turn, signed a procurement contract with Siemens for the primary equipment of the 877 MW capacity natural gas-fired generation unit.

The total investment cost is estimated at 375 million euros, and construction began in 2022. The unit is located in the Industrial Park of Komotini, and the primary equipment is sourced from Siemens, with completion expected within the year.

The new Komotini power plant by GEK TERNA – Motor Oil will be connected to the national electricity transmission system at the Nea Santa Converter Station in Kilkis, the termination point of the second interconnection transmission line of 400 KV with Bulgaria.

The state-of-the-art plant is strategically important as it aims to meet the increased demand for electricity in our country, which will arise due to the gradual retirement of lignite-based generation units. It represents a breath of fresh air for the region’s development and the energy security of the country.

Completion of the Alexandroupoli Ring Road

The Alexandroupoli Ring Road is located within the boundaries of the General Urban Plan (GUP) of Alexandroupoli and aims to divert passing traffic to and from the port of Alexandroupoli, the “Democritus” airport, Komotini, and the Egnatia Odos, without imposing traffic burdens on the urban fabric of the city.

The Eastern Ring Road is being constructed along the alignment of the proposed Alexandroupoli Perimeter Road Plan (a section of which is already open) and runs along the northern and eastern boundary of the Urban Plan.

The envisaged width for the perimeter road according to the City Plan is 26 meters for the majority of its length, except for some sections where it is limited to 20 meters. In the area of the port (after chainage 3+542.17), the alignment of the connecting road has been determined within the framework of the works of the Alexandroupoli port.

The construction works began in 2022 (the contract was signed in late 2021) and are estimated to be completed within 2024. The contractor for the project is TEKAL, and the contracting authority is the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport.

FSRU Alexandroupoli

A significant energy project in the Thrace region is the FSRU (Floating Storage Regasification Unit) at the port of Alexandroupoli. With this project, Alexandroupoli is transformed into an energy hub, as evidenced by the fact that 80% of the terminal station’s capacity has already been committed on a long-term basis by 13 different companies operating in the region, including Greek companies. There is also interest from new companies in the remaining capacity.
The project is being implemented by Gastrade. The connection of the FSRU to the national gas transmission system has already been completed, and the final tests will follow to enable commercial operation on April 30th.

The Greek system will be supplied annually with approximately 45,000 MWh of natural gas, equivalent to 1.5 bcm per year or 27% of the total annual regasification capacity of the station.

New General Hospital of Komotini

The new General Hospital of Komotini will replace the “Sismanoglio” General Hospital of Komotini, founded in 1937. The cost of the building exceeds 100 million euros and will consist of a total of 180 beds, 15 of which will be dedicated to dialysis units. The hospital building will be surrounded by a dense wooded area with 1,200 trees and therapeutic gardens that will be accessible.

The construction of the Komotini hospital is part of a project involving the construction of three hospitals in Komotini, Thessaloniki, and Sparta, funded by a donation from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (based on the program agreement with the Ministry of Health). The total cost amounts to 442 million euros. The contractor for the project is AVAX.

Wood will be the predominant structural element, following construction techniques that are more common in Central and Northern Europe. The logic of construction with timber frame will resemble somewhat that of metal construction.

Expansion of natural gas network

Another significant energy project in the Thrace region is the dual contracting that expands the natural gas network in the three major cities of Alexandroupoli, Komotini, and Xanthi by the Hellenic Distribution Network Operator for Natural Gas (DEDA).

The first contract concerns the expansion of the natural gas network in Alexandroupoli-Komotini. The contractor is AVAX, and the works are in the final stage. The second contract involves the expansion of the natural gas network in Xanthi (as well as Drama) with AKTOR as the contractor. The two projects have a budget of approximately 40 million euros.
With these projects, the major cities of Thrace will have access to natural gas, providing them with greater options for supplying households, businesses, and industries.

+3 projects

In addition to the projects already underway, the region can expect three more projects in the future. These include two railway and building projects: the Kavala-Xanthi and Alexandroupoli-Ormenio railway lines, as well as student dormitories for the Democritus University of Thrace.

The railway lines

According to the plan of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, two significant railway projects are set to be implemented. The first is the new railway line from Kavala to Xanthi, with a length of 37 kilometers. The project has secured funding from the CEF II. The tender for the project is likely to be launched this year, with a cost including VAT of 218.98 million euros.
The second project is the upgrade of the single line from Alexandroupoli to Ormenio with electrification and signaling. There has been a tender in progress since 2022, and we are awaiting further developments. The contracting authority for both projects is ERGOSE.

The student dormitories

Finally, we also have the project for the student dormitories of the Democritus University of Thrace. The tender started in 2020 and is expected to be completed this year. The University of Thrace spans across 4 cities, meaning infrastructure needs to be simultaneously developed in different areas. This translates to 4 dormitory buildings in Alexandroupoli and 2 dormitory buildings in Komotini.

Also included is the construction of a new Central Library/Reading Room – Multifunctional Events Facility (1 central building housing the library, reading room, and various event spaces, totaling 6,000 sqm indoor area and 17,000 sqm overall space). In Xanthi, the construction of a Research Center of Excellence is planned (1 central building with laboratories and research centers spanning 10,000 sqm, and 5,000 sqm outdoor areas).

For more details and the complete article in Greek, click here