Alexandrouplis Port Fact Sheet
Port Facts:
- The port of Alexandroupoli is well positioned to support exercises in the region due to its existing infrastructure and strategic location.
- As allied and partner nations continue our extensive training programs in the region, the ports in Greece are of significant importance for the flow of personnel and equipment.
- The recent deployment of just under 800 piece of equipment and roughly 400 Soldiers through Alexandroupoli in support of exercise Saber Guardian 2019 in Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania is a perfect example of this.
Dredger Removal Operations Facts:
- The Port of Alexandroupoli has a very capable pier for large cargo ships
- 500 meters long pier
- About 50,000 square meters of open space adjacent to the pier
- A sunken dredger barge sits mostly underwater about 270m from the landward end, which leaves less than 200m of useable pier on the seaward side
- The barge, “Olga,” was a dredging barge which sunk at the pier in 2010 and is now laying on its side with a small portion exposed above the waterline.
- Length/width/draft – 53m/11.5m/2.9m
- Over the years, multiple attempts to remove the wreck have failed, leaving a significant portion of the pier unusable.
- The United States and NATO see the importance of the pier at its full capacity. Therefore, the United States decided to provide the resources to remove the dredger.
- The U.S. Navy leveraged an existing salvage contract with U.S.-based DonJon Marine for the removal work.
- DonJon subsequently sub-contracted the work to Five Oceans Salvage, a Greek owned and operated salvage company.
- The operation includes:
- Two U.S. Navy officers on site
- 20-30 U.S. Navy and U.S. Army personnel supporting remotely
- DonJon Marine has 1-3 U.S. Civilian Contractors on site
- Five Oceans Salvage, with the support of a local Greek dive company, has 9-13 Greek employees on site
- Work began in early August and is expected to take approximately two months.
- Once the removal operations are complete, the pier will once again be capable of supporting ships along its entire 500 meters length.
- The total operation cost to the U.S. is approximately $2.3 million.
