Cyprus Mail: News Articles in English, 01-12-30

Cyprus Mail: News Articles in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: The Cyprus Mail at <http://www.cyprus-mail.com/>

Sunday, December 30, 2001

CONTENTS

[01] Car bombed in Limassol

[02] Water plant output unchanged, despite damage

[03] Ports try to attract foreign firms to Limassol

[01] Car bombed in Limassol

The owner contacted Limassol police when he woke up and saw his ruined vehicle.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

[02] Water plant output unchanged, despite damage

OPERATORS of the Dhekelia Desalination Plant yesterday denied that damage to its giant underwater supply pipeline had lessened output or caused extra filtration problems.

The company, Karamontanis Desalination Plants Ltd, also reiterated its warning for divers to avoid the area, given the danger that they could get sucked into the 500-metre long pipe if they strayed too close.

Lying on the seabed, the pipe carries seawater to the plant's pumping station, from where it is piped to the desalination unit.

A grid attached to the mouth of the pipe broke off two weeks ago during violent storms.

Even with the mesh in place and intact, fish and debris such as plastic bags are routinely sucked into the pumping station.

Although larger objects can now enter the pipe, Karamontanis insisted that a complicated screening process ensured that the absent mesh made no difference to the quality of water produced.

"It has no particular affect on the plant and we are still producing water at the same capacity," Company director Stavros Karamontanis said.

He said the main purpose of the mesh had been to prevent divers from getting sucked into the pipe by accident.

The danger area has been marked by a buoy some 250 metres offshore.

"We must warn people," he said, suggesting that divers stay clear of the area until the replacement grid arrives. It has been ordered, but Karamontanis said he did not know when it would arrive. It could be possibly as late as March.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

[03] Ports try to attract foreign firms to Limassol

THE CYPRUS Ports Authority (CPA) is hoping to persuade two large foreign shipping companies to use Limassol port as their eastern Mediterranean hub, chairman Christos Hadjimanolis said yesterday.

The deal is part of the CPA's multi-million pound plan to revitalise Limassol to compete with regional rivals, in particular Egyptian ports. Hadjimanolis told the Sunday Mail that the CPA had decided to invest £1.3 million to boost storage space to 60,000 square metres.

He hopes that port will be working 24 hours a day within months, and spelt out the need for more crane bridges.

"Speed is another factor. We need to improve the time it takes to load and unload. If we can bring more work, then it won't be a problem to employ the required number of people," he said.

The two shipping giants, based in the Middle East, together operate 20 ships, which Hadjimanolis said would be a significant investment.

The 13-vessel K. Line and seven-shipped Yiang Ming are anxious to secure a permanent base in the Middle East by spring 2002.

The CPA will give a presentation in London, early in the New Year, in a bid to sign a deal with at least one of the two companies.

When Minister of Communications and Works Averoff Neophytou was asked on Friday whether the government might assist the CPA with the necessary funds to upgrade Limassol port, he said: "If there is a need to improve, then why not. But if it will be a waste of money then certainly not."

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

Cyprus Mail: News Articles in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article