These high percentages, combined with the quality of the Greek-owned fleet, the vast majority of which consists of new ships with high-technology, marshaled by people with entreprenurial spirit and maritime expertise.
As Union of Greek Shipowners president Theodore E. Veniamis in his overview stresses the ever so important role of the maritime industry's contribution to the economy, while also pointing out the "great shipping achievement is not accidental but the result of a long and steady maritime tradition".
Strength of the Greek fleet is underlined in the just released Union of Greek Shipowners' annual review. From the off Veniamis in his overview stresses the ever so important role of the maritime industry's contribution to the economy, while also pointing out the "great shipping achievement is not accidental but the result of a long and steady maritime tradition enabling Greek shipping to preserve the entrepreneurial spirit and maritime expertise and pass them from generation to generation.
"Our close ties with our country make shipping an integral part of our national identity. These ties should not be undermined nor loosened, but shipping should be the driving force for the further healthy economic development, a common vision and goal for all.”
Veniamis said that despite recession, overtonnaging, an unstable freight market, reduced access to ship financing from banks, the Greek-owned fleet increased in dwt and in number of vessels. At the beginning of 2014 the Greek register accounted for 802 vessels of over 1,000 gt, for a total of 41.83m gt. Greek-owned tonnage held first position worldwide. The overall fleet accounted for 3,669 vessels of 261.63m dwt, 16.16% of the world dwt.
The Greek flag fleet ranks seventh internationally, in terms of dwt and second in the EU in gt terms, accounting for 46.72% of the EU dwt the vast majority of which consists of new ships high-technology, run by Greek owners with long experience. Greek owners control 18.51% of the world tanker fleet, 23.32% of the world bulk carrier fleet and 13.81% of the world chemical and product tanker fleets in terms of dwt and this does not include ships on order.
At the beginning of the year Greek interests had 371 vessels on order, some 32.6m dwt - 149 tankers or 18.32% of world dwt, including 58 LNG/LPG tankers, some 25.94% of world dwt; 51 products tankers, 14.24% of world dwt, 169 bulkers, 15% of world dwt. There were 48 container ships, 7.08% of world dwt and five other ships, indicating a diversification to specialised ships such as LNG / LPG vessels, container ships as well as products tankers.
Age profile of the Greek flag fleet in 2013 was 11.5 years over 50% of the fleet being younger than 10 years old and of the Greek owned fleet 9.9 years, whilst the average age of the world fleet was 12.4 years.
In 2013 the shipping poured EUR12.089bn into Greek coffers, some 9% less than the EUR13.287bn in 2012.
Veniamis said Posidonia 2014 exhibition 0n 2 to 6 June in Athens, "Will once again bring the achievements and the stakeholders of this multi-dimensional maritime industry and the international services they offer to the centre of global interest.
"The broad publicity shipping will attract in the context of Posidonia, which usually performs its work quietly, will hopefully act as a catalyst, at the political level, so that practicable and realistic approaches to shipping issues prevail in the organisations of the United Nations, the European Union and our major trading partners," said the UGS president.
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