Kos Marina takes second place in the International Smart & Sustainable Marina Awards

31 October 2022

Kos Marina, Greece

At the second edition of the International Smart & Sustainable Marina award ceremony, held during the Monaco Yacht Show at the Yacht Club de Monaco, TransEurope Marinas member Kos Marina took second place in the marina category.

Selected from a shortlist of 9 exclusive marinas from Italy, UAE, Cyprus, the Bahamas, Greece, Oman and Qatar, marina manager Antonis Drosos had a series of interviews by the 5-person jury, looking to ascertain how marinas were incorporating sustainable and efficient management processes.

Whilst Flisvos Marina eventually took the prize, long-time Blue Flag flyer Kos Marina was commended on their sustainable solutions, including initiatives taken to reduce energy use and prevent contamination.

Antonis Drosos, manager of Kos Marina, at the International Smart & Sustainable Marina Awards

Antonis has invested a great deal of time studying how best to serving the marina’s unmet needs; closely observing customer behavioural patterns and recognising where change is required and where opportunities lie.

In an area prized for its summer cruising grounds, high season can mean up to 120 charter boat arrivals and perhaps a thousand extra people using marina facilities: a significant draw on resources such as water and energy. Electricity consumption was reduced by no less than 80% by installing heat pumps, powering water heating and airblade hand-dryers in the shower units.

Diving teams cleaning the seabed in Kos Marina

In the office, the marina is also practically paper-free, with electronic contactless services offered for marina documentation and billing. Antonis also found that installing meters and charging for water use and energy meant that customers significantly reduced their consumption of both, particularly in the case of boaters who washed down their boats regularly, despite low levels of use.

Regular seabed cleans with local divers and corresponding customer communication campaigns help reduce litter pollution, and the marina plans to acquire a robotic surface cleaner, which is has the capacity to absorb hydrocarbon spills. Electric golf-carts are used to move around the marina.

Educational visit to a nearby aloe vera cosmetics producer

Beyond this, social responsibility is also a key topic. Three times a year, the marina organises an educational visit to local producers such as wineries, oil  factories or honey producing facilities, in order to see how they treat their waste and to learn about their environmental and recycling approach.

Antonis reported that the Monaco event was highly beneficial as a means of discovering new start-ups with a surprisingly plentiful array of inspiring new ideas – some of which he already has plans to employ in the future!