“Metalleia Thrakis” participated in the development conference “ET Forum” held in Alexandroupolis by the newspaper “Eleftheros Typos”. The General Manager of the company Mr. Leonidas Bakouras took part as a speaker in the panel “Economy, Entrepreneurship and Financial Instruments. Highlighting a new innovative and sustainable development model for the Region of the ASSR, which goes through the primary sector, tourism, culture and development infrastructure”, which was also attended by the Deputy Minister of Economy and Finance Mr. Nikos Papathanasis, the Vice Rector of Innovation of the DTH Mr. George Brooufas and the CCO of Mesogeios Group Mr. George Koumbarakis.
Answering the questions of the moderator of the discussion, Mr. Yannis Tsaproounis, Mr. Bakouras stressed the need for real “regional development” in Greece and especially “in border regions, such as Thrace”. At the same time, citing relevant studies, he noted that “northern Greece is ”stepping on“ a great treasure worth 71 billion euros, which is its mineral wealth”
Referring to the activity of “Metalleia Thrakis” in the current period, Mr.Bakouras stressed that the Environmental Impact Study for the Perama project is being prepared “for which more than 40 professors are working through collaborations with academic institutions and universities from all over Greece”. Regarding the collaborations with universities, he noted that “we want the Perama project to have the scientific validity and study excellence of academics, but above all the sensitivity that distinguishes them for the progress of Thrace and Greece as a whole.”
Financial data from the Cassandra Mines
“Metalleia Thrakis” operates as a subsidiary of the Canadian Eldorado Gold, which has already invested in Greece more than 3 billion euros in the Cassandra Mines in Halkidiki.
Providing figures on the Cassandra Mines, Bakouras said, among other things, that in Halkidiki Eldorado Gold:
“Currently employs 2,500 workers who will reach 3,000 in the full development of the Cassandra Mines, from 2026.
To date it has paid more than half a billion euros in taxes and more than 1.5 billion euros to local suppliers.
The Municipality of Aristotle has received in the last four years about 18 million euros from mining fees.”
At the same time, he cited the published study by IOBE, which makes it clear that in the next 20 years (2024-2044) the Cassandra Mines will significantly boost public revenues, the local GDP of the Region of Central Macedonia, but also the local economy in the wider region of Halkidiki.
Similar figures will be relevant in Thrace in a few years, Mr. Bakouras noted, if the Perama mine becomes operational. For the operation of the mine, of course, a necessary condition is the submission and approval of the Environmental Impact Study, which will be “the mirror of the project with all its environmental and economic details.” The aim of “Metalleia Thrakis” is to complete the Environmental Impact Study within the set timeframe so that then and through public consultation “it will form the basis of a structured dialogue with the local community, based on real and modern data and not on data from 2001 and 2011”, as Mr.Bakouras stressed, while expressing his optimism about its completeness given “Eldorado Gold’s absolute commitment to environmental laws and rules and the excellence of the scientific staff of the University of Thrace”.
