How Greece’s Major Infrastructure Tenders Are Reshaping the Construction Map in 2026

The major projects being tendered across the country have drawn significant public attention, and there is strong momentum within the construction sector. In several of the projects that have already entered the tendering process, alliances have been formed among the major groups. What is emerging as a clear trend is that these partnerships change depending on the type, budget, and overall importance of each tender.

In major tenders, we have seen groups compete independently to secure a project, only to form alliances in the very next tender in order to increase their chances of success. A particularly interesting aspect of large-scale tenders is that they attract the interest of the entire construction market holding 7th-class contractor licenses.

In the list of major projects currently scheduled for tendering in the first half of 2026, we see road projects, several significant railway projects, a large number of building projects, as well as PPP projects and concessions, among others. This broad expansion of projects has created a strong growth outlook for the construction sector, as the order backlogs of the major groups continue to rise and have recently exceeded €16.5 billion in total (for all four major groups combined).

What is particularly noteworthy is that purely private investments in this list are limited to just one project. It is the first time in the past two to three years that the list does not include any project by Lamda Development at Ellinikon.

Dominating the list are the major projects for the electrical interconnection of the Dodecanese, the expansion of Athens International Airport “Eleftherios Venizelos,” and the Alexandroupoli–Ormenio railway line, which together form the top three among the largest projects currently up for tender.

These three projects each have a cost exceeding €1 billion and amount to €3.5 billion in total. Today, we have compiled and singled out the 20 largest projects currently up for tender, with a combined value exceeding €8.6 billion, and we will examine which alliances have been formed for them (where such alliances exist).

From the list below, several projects are expected to be awarded and contracted this year, including the electrical interconnection of the Dodecanese, the expansion works at Athens International Airport “Eleftherios Venizelos,” the two waste treatment facilities in Central Macedonia, among others.

Positions 20–16

20. Lamia–Karpenisi Axis: Makrykome–Tymfristos section

• Budget: €200 million
• Type of project: Public
• Region: Central Greece

The scope of the contract includes the design and construction of the project “Lamia–Karpenisi Road Axis, section connecting the end of the Makrykome bypass with the eastern portal of the Tymfristos Tunnel.” The total length of the project is approximately 30 km. For almost its entire length (with the exception of small sections at the ends), the project follows a new alignment.

The tender was launched in 2023 by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport. The participating consortia are: AVAX, TERNA, METKA–AKTOR, TEKAL–TRACE–ELIKA, DOMIKI KRITIS–EKTER–TENA–ERETVO, and MESOGEIOS–ODOS–INTERKAT–ERGODOMIKI VIOTIAS–ERGOKAT.

19. New Nea Karvali–Toxotes (Xanthi) Railway Line

• Budget: €240 million
• Type of project: Public (re-tendering expected)
• Region: Eastern Macedonia–Thrace

The project αφορά works for the construction of infrastructure, track superstructure, and stations/stops for a new single-track railway line on the Nea Karvali–Toxotes section (Xanthi area), with a total length of approximately 32 km, as well as a branch line from Nea Karvali to the new Kavala freight port, approximately 5.3 km in length. The contracting authority is ERGOSE.

Through this project, the new Kavala freight port will be connected to the existing railway network of Northern Greece, while at the same time strengthening links with the railway networks of neighboring countries. In the tender process, TERNA emerged as the lowest bidder.

18. Waste Treatment Facility for the Eastern Sector of the Region of Central Macedonia

• Budget: €241 million
• Type of project: Public
• Region: Central Macedonia

This is the second such facility in the region, with the tender being conducted by the Central Macedonia Waste Management Authority (FODSA) and ongoing since autumn 2021. Following the evaluation of bids, the TERNA–ILIOCHORA consortium was named provisional contractor.

The project includes the construction of a Waste Treatment Facility that will process 128,200 tonnes per year of mixed municipal waste.

The facility will manage 36% of the mixed municipal waste generated in the Thessaloniki regional unit, waste from Halkidiki, residues from the Materials Recovery Facilities (MRFs) of Halkidiki and Eastern Thessaloniki, residues from bio-waste treatment plants in Halkidiki and Eastern Thessaloniki, and 22,000 tonnes per year of source-separated waste. It will also serve the Municipality of Thermi and 65% of the Municipality of Thessaloniki.

17. Drama–Amphipolis Road Axis

• Budget: €248 million
• Type of project: PPP (Public–Private Partnership)
• Region: Eastern Macedonia–Thrace

The PPP tender was launched on 6 December 2022 by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport through a call for expressions of interest. The participating bidders were GEK TERNA, AKTOR Concessions–MYTILINEOS, INTRAKAT, and AVAX. The tender is currently in Phase B.

The duration of the PPP project has been set at 360 months (30 years). The first four years concern the construction and/or upgrading of the road infrastructure, while the remaining period covers operation and maintenance.

16. Waste Treatment Facility for the Western Sector of the Region of Central Macedonia

• Budget: €250 million
• Type of project: Public
• Region: Central Macedonia

It is one of the largest projects of its kind currently up for tender. The tender is being conducted by the Central Macedonia Waste Management Authority (FODSA) and has been ongoing since autumn 2021. Following the bid evaluation process, the consortium TERNA Energy–TITAN was named provisional contractor.

The nominal (maximum) capacity of the Waste Treatment Facility amounts to 300,000 tonnes of waste per year. The facility will be integrated into a modern Circular Economy Park, which will include, among other features, research and innovation centers, educational facilities for university students and school pupils, green and recreational infrastructure, municipal vegetable gardens, and experimental fields.

Positions 15–11

15. Gonos Freight Center

• Budget: €260 million
• Type of project: Concession
• Region: Attica

The property at the former Gonos military camp is planned to be developed into a modern intermodal freight center, which will serve as a hub for business activities and logistics operations. It occupies a strategic location at the western gateway of Thessaloniki, as it is situated close to major road, rail, and port hubs. The contracting authority is the Strategic Investments Contracts Unit of the Hellenic Corporation of Assets and Participations (HCAP / Hyperfund).

The proximity of the site to the Port of Thessaloniki, the Egnatia Motorway, Thessaloniki Airport, and the adjacent railway infrastructure, as well as its closeness to the Balkans, provides significant geostrategic advantages for the planned development and intended uses. The selected concessionaire will be responsible for the licensing, development, construction, financing, operation, maintenance, and exploitation of the Business Park, with a total area of 672,000 sq.m.

The following consortia and entities submitted expressions of interest: Goldair Cargo – Aktor, TRADE LOGISTICS S.A. – INTRAKAT, Noval Property, and the Thessaloniki Port Authority.

14. Upgrade of the SKA–Oinoi Railway Line

• Budget: €300 million
• Type of project: Public (re-tendering expected)
• Region: Attica

The project concerns the upgrade of the SKA–Oinoi railway section (approximately 52 km of existing double-track railway line), infrastructure works at the intermediate railway stations, the upgrade of the Oinoi and Aliartos railway stations, and the construction of a new railway stop at Oinofyta. Through this project, trains will be able to operate at higher speeds and railway safety levels will be enhanced. The project will be tendered by the Hellenic Corporation of Assets and Participations (HCAP / Hyperfund), specifically through its PPF unit.

13. AENAON Metropolitan Park, Faliro

• Budget: €320 million
• Type of project: Public
• Region: Attica

This is the largest new urban regeneration project in the country after the Votanikos development and the private projects at Ellinikon. The TERNA–METKA consortium submitted a bid, and, unsurprisingly, the contracts are expected to be signed by the summer. With this project, the interventions in the Faliro Bay area—launched a decade ago—will be completed. The result will be the creation of a new metropolitan park in Faliro, connecting with the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center and the Floisvos area.

12. Extension of Kymi Avenue

• Budget: €352 million
• Type of project: Public
• Region: Attica

The tender concerns the first extension of Attiki Odos in 18 years. With this project, Kymi Avenue will be extended as far as Lykovrysi, reaching the Kalyftaki grade-separated interchange. A large part of the project will be underground and will significantly serve the areas of Maroussi and Pefki, while also relieving congestion on the Attiki Odos section from Metamorfosi to Doukissis Plakentias.

The tender was launched in January 2022 and is at a final stage; however, an appeal is pending before the Council of State, and the court’s decision will determine the project’s progress. The contracting authority is the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, and the selected contractor is the TERNA–AKTOR consortium.

11. Schisto Waste Treatment Facility

• Budget: €372 million
• Type of project: Public
• Region: Attica

Another tender for a Waste Treatment Facility (WTF) in Attica. Specifically, the processing capacity of the Schisto facility has been estimated at 250,000 tonnes per year of residual mixed waste and source-separated biowaste. It will cover the needs of the municipalities of Piraeus and some of the Western Suburbs. Five consortia participated in the tender launched in September 2021. The contracting authority is ESDNA (Athens Waste Management Authority).

Positions 10–6

10. Subsea Link Salamina–Perama

• Budget: €400 million
• Type of project: Concession
• Region: Attica

The “eternal” tender. It started in 2016 and is still ongoing. At present, the project is awaiting the approval of environmental terms, which will allow it to finally move forward. It concerns the subsea connection between Salamina and Perama via Schisto Avenue. The project will provide Salamina with a direct connection to Attica and is expected to create significant development opportunities. The contracting authority is the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport.

9. “Theageneio” Cancer Hospital, Thessaloniki

• Budget: €434 million
• Type of project: PPP (Public–Private Partnership)
• Region: Central Macedonia

This is the largest new healthcare infrastructure project in the country under a single contract, and another major project for the Thessaloniki area following the construction of the new Children’s Hospital in Fyliro, funded by a donation from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation.

The contract duration has been set at 360 months (30 years), of which the first approximately three years will concern the construction, completion, and equipping of the new hospital. The scope of the project includes the construction of a hospital with a capacity of 425 beds.

8. Thessaloniki–Edessa Road Axis

• Budget: €444 million
• Type of project: PPP (Public–Private Partnership)
• Region: Central Macedonia

This is another PPP road project. The tender was launched in December 2022 and attracted the interest of the five major construction groups. Upon completion, it will create an important vertical axis to the Egnatia Motorway and facilitate road transport to and from Thessaloniki. The contracting authority is the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport.

7. Andreas Lentakis Government Park

• Budget: €522 million
• Type of project: Concession
• Region: Attica

The call for expressions of interest was launched on 25 October 2024 by the Strategic Investments Contracts Unit of the Hellenic Corporation of Assets and Participations (HCAP / Hyperfund), on behalf of the Ministry of National Economy and Finance. The following bidders advanced to Phase B: GEK TERNA S.A., Consortium “AVAX S.A. – AKTOR Concessions S.A.”, and Consortium “METLEN – INTRAKAT.”

The scope of the PPP contract includes the design, financing, construction, operation, and maintenance of a new administrative office complex (Andreas Lentakis Government Park) in the Municipality of Dafni–Ymittos, including the development of a large urban park that will function as a “green lung” for the wider Dafni–Ymittos area.

6. Fyli Waste Treatment Facility

• Budget: €570 million
• Type of project: PPP (Public–Private Partnership)
• Region: Attica

The tender for the Fyli Waste Treatment Facility is the largest of its kind in Greece. The Waste Treatment Facility (WTF) of the Central Attica Circular Economy Park, to be built in the Fyli area, has a budget of €571 million. The facility’s capacity has been estimated at 450,000 tonnes per year of residual mixed waste and source-separated biowaste.

The tender, launched in September 2021, attracted the following consortia: TERNA Energy–TITAN, MORE – AVAX – THALIS, MYTILINEOS – MESOGEIOS, INTRAKAT, and HELECTOR – AKTOR Concessions. The contracting authority is ESDNA (Athens Waste Management Authority).

Positions 5–1

5. Extension of Metro Line 2 to Ilion

• Budget: €682 million
• Type of project: Public
• Region: Attica

This project concerns the 4 km northward extension of Athens Metro Line 2, providing access to the Western Suburbs—Ilion, Agioi Anargyroi, and Kamatero—within the capital’s transport system. It is currently the largest purely public works project in the country.

The tender by Elliniko Metro provides for approximately 4 km of underground double-track line and the construction of three stations. Two stations will be located on Thivon Avenue: Palatiani and Ilion, while the new terminal station will be Agios Nikolaos. The project cost including VAT is €682 million (€550 million excluding VAT). The contracting authority is Elliniko Metro.

The tender, launched on 3 May 2023 with a call for expressions of interest, attracted four bidders: TERNA, INTRAKAT, AVAX–GHELLA–ALSTOM, and AKTOR–MYTILINEOS. At this stage, environmental approvals and the review of bidders’ files are being completed to determine which candidates will advance to Phase B.

4. New Aspropyrgos Prisons

• Budget: €765 million
• Type of project: PPP
• Region: Attica

This is the largest PPP tender in Greece. The scope of the PPP contract includes the financing, design, construction, procurement of equipment, maintenance, and technical management of the facilities that will house the Athens Judicial Correctional Complex (AJCC) and the Attica Courts Prisoner Transfer Directorate, in Aspropyrgos, on a 100-acre site. It is the largest PPP building project ever undertaken in the country.

The contract duration for the major PPP project to relocate the Korydallos prisons is estimated at 360 months, with the first 3–4 years covering the construction period. However, the final duration will be determined during Stage B.I (dialogue) of Phase B of the tender. Expressions of interest were submitted by AVAX, AKTOR Concessions, GEK TERNA, and MYTILINEOS.

3. Alexandroupoli–Ormenio Railway Line

• Buget: €1 billion
• Typde of project: Public
• Region: Eastern Macedonia–Thrace

The project concerns the conversion of the line into a double-track, electrified, high-speed railway. It is of strategic importance for Greece, as it opens the way for freight transport between Greece and Bulgaria. The tender is expected to be relaunched within the year.

The project aims to maximize Greece’s role as a major logistics hub in Southeastern Europe. In the previous tender, the following consortia participated: TERNA–INTRAKAT, AKTOR–MYTILINEOS, and AVAX–ALSTOM.

2. Expansion of Athens International Airport “Eleftherios Venizelos”

• Budget: €1.1 billion
• Type of project: Private
• Region: Attica

The project αφορά the expansion works at Athens International Airport, which will add 150,000 sq.m. to the terminal areas, providing additional passenger handling facilities, extra boarding gates, new aircraft parking stands, expanded retail and food & beverage areas, as well as the necessary upgrades to other infrastructure.

The works have a budget of €1.1 billion and constitute the second-largest new infrastructure project in Greece. The tender is expected to be completed within the year.

1. Electrical Interconnection of the Dodecanese

• Budget: €1.42 billion
• Type of project: Public
• Region: South Aegean

The tender for the electrical interconnection of the Dodecanese has been launched and represents the largest new energy project in Greece, as well as the biggest domestic project currently up for tender. According to IPTO (ADMIE), the implementing authority, the plan provides for the interconnection of Kos, Rhodes, and Karpathos with the mainland system via Corinth, in two phases.

Upon completion, six autonomous island power systems will gain access to the mainland grid. The energy isolation of Rhodes (and indirectly Chalki, connected to Rhodes via a medium-voltage submarine cable), Karpathos (and Kasos), Symi, Kos–Kalymnos (and indirectly Pserimos, Telendos, Nisyros, Tilos, Leros, Leipsoi, and Gyali), Patmos, and Arki (and Marathi) will be lifted.

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