A significant development in the progress of the procedures for removing the dangerous shipwreck “SLOPS” from the Gulf of Eleusis is marked by the approval of funding from state resources of the “Blue Fund” Program, allocated for the protection of the marine environment and the prevention of marine pollution in the year 2025.
Specifically, by decision of the Minister of Environment and Energy, Mr. Theodoros Skylakakis, it was approved to allocate a total of 887.969 euros from the Green Fund from the “Blue Fund” Financial Program, with the aim of completely depolluting the “SLOPS” floating separator from petroleum products, so that the hull can then be delivered “clean” for dismantling and the marine and terrestrial environment of the area can be freed from the “threatened pollution”.
The funding request to the Green Fund was submitted by the CEO of OLE SA, Mr. Apostolos Kamarinakis, and was accepted for the completely exceptional reasons of risk that exist in the case of the “SLOPS” due to the oily residues it carries. The hull has been abandoned in the bay of Vlycha since 2007, in a semi-sunken state, with residues of oily sludge, making it necessary to clean and remove it to ensure environmental protection.
The financing process was activated within the framework of a Memorandum of Cooperation between OLE SA - Green Fund, in order to financially support the complex and costly project of removing shipwrecks from the area of responsibility of the Port of Elefsina.
Important in the success of OLE SA's efforts for the environmentally sound management of "SLOPS" was the practical support of the Ministry of Shipping and Insular Policy, as well as the assistance of the executives of the competent Marine Environment Protection Directorate of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries.
