Santorini: Environmental Impact Study filed for Monolith marina

The Municipal Port Fund of Thira submitted the Environmental Impact Study (EIS) for the marina project at Monolith in Santorini, an infrastructure project with a budget exceeding 40 million euros. According to the Municipal Port Fund of Thira, the plan provides for the creation of 350 mooring spaces for pleasure craft, small and large, and is expected to create a total of 120 direct jobs. The submission of the EIS constitutes the next formal step in the long licensing process for the project, following prolonged delays that had been noted in its implementation in previous years.

The marina project at Monolith was initially designed in 2018, when it was included in the country’s strategic investments through expedited licensing procedures, in collaboration with Enterprise Greece. Despite this initial planning and its characterization as a fast-track investment, the project’s implementation was significantly delayed in the following years, resulting in the entire licensing process remaining pending for a long time. The process was restarted in 2024, with renewed collaboration between the Municipal Port Fund of Thira and Enterprise Greece, which provided technical and advisory support to advance the required steps toward completion of the licensing file and, ultimately, the submission of the Environmental Impact Study that was announced.

The creation of 350 mooring spaces is expected to strengthen Santorini’s shipping and tourism sector, attracting pleasure craft from Greece and abroad and creating new economic activities around the marine tourism industry. The 120 direct jobs expected to result from the marina’s operations, according to the Municipal Port Fund of Thira, are expected to strengthen the local job market on the island, at a time of intense tourism development and increased demand for mooring services. The project is part of a broader trend of upgrading port infrastructure in the Cyclades, where demand for pleasure craft mooring spaces has increased in recent years, making the Monolith marina one of the most significant infrastructure projects being examined today on the island of Thira.

According to the Municipal Port Fund of Thira, “with the completion and submission of the EIS, the path opens for completion of the required approvals.” After the EIS is approved by the competent authorities, an international tender will follow for the selection of the contractor who will undertake the construction and management of the marina. The duration of the licensing process has not been determined by the Municipal Port Fund of Thira, as it depends on the progress of the study evaluation by the competent authorities and the following administrative steps that will follow before the announcement of the international tender for the selection of the construction and management contractor.