Greek Alapis joins Hutchison in port tender bid

ATHENS, May 12 (Reuters) - Greece's Piraeus Port Authority (OLPr.AT: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) said on Monday Hutchison Port Holdings (0013.HK: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) teamed up with Greek pharmaceutical firm Alapis (ALAr.AT: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) in a bid to run the harbour's cargo facilities.

Greece launched a tender calling investors to operate and modernise facilities in Piraeus (OLP) and Thessaloniki (OLTH) (OLTr.AT: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) ports, seeking to boost their cargo business and prevent freighters from choosing other regional ports.

"Hutchison Port Holdings in a joint venture with Alapis filed an application for the concession of docks II and III of the Cargo Station of Piraeus Port," OLP said in a statement.

China's Cosco Pacific (1199.HK: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) was the second bidder in the international tender.

OLP said bids would be reviewed on Monday but did not say when the winner would be announced.

The winners of the tenders for Greece's two major ports will operate and expand three of their commercial docks for up to 35 years. The deadline for the Thessaloniki port tender is May 15.

Greek dockers have staged repeated strikes and have refused to work overtime since the beginning of the year -- causing serious delays in container processing -- fearing the move would lead to job cuts and to the ports' full privatisation.

Greece holds more than 70 percent stakes in each port. OLP has a market value of 605 million euros ($935.3 million), while Thessaloniki is worth 319 million. (For previous story on bids for Piraeus Port click on [ID:nL09920101]) (Reporting by Renee Maltezou, editing by Will Waterman)