Shipping agents chief urges coordinated planning for Cyprus port investment

Limassol, Cyprus. Cyprus shipping agents association president Reginos Tsanos urged a coordinated approach to shipping, energy and environmental protection to underpin investment in ports and their modernisation. He warned that fragmented planning and differing regulatory priorities could jeopardise commercially viable projects.

Cooperation across sectors

Tsanos spoke at the Italy-Cyprus Maritime Business Forum at DP World Limassol’s passenger terminal. Held under the auspices of the Shipping Deputy Ministry, the event gathered officials and business representatives from Cyprus and Italy for discussions on maritime investment, port infrastructure and green technologies.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the association said Tsanos had highlighted the close connections among the three sectors, despite differences in their priorities, decision-making procedures and schedules.

During a panel examining sustainable ports and their relationship with neighbouring cities, he said stronger coordination was needed to ensure investments balanced commercial viability with energy security and environmental protection. He urged government authorities, municipalities, energy providers and the maritime industry to work more closely together.

Five priorities for joint planning

Tsanos outlined five areas where cooperation should deepen: converting ports into smart energy hubs, bringing regulatory frameworks into alignment, coordinating investment plans across the blue economy, creating a common maritime digital platform and aligning marine spatial planning.

He argued that evaluating maritime, energy and environmental developments jointly, instead of considering each project in isolation, could strengthen investment viability and improve risk management.

The proposed shared digital platform, he said, would support infrastructure planning, speed up decisions and enhance environmental monitoring.

Electricity supply constraints

Shore-side power for ships received particular attention because it would enable vessels to cut emissions during berthing.

However, Tsanos warned that “the capacity of Cyprus’ electricity networks remained a major challenge”. Addressing that constraint, he said, required joint planning involving the state, local authorities, shipping companies and energy providers.