News & Events

In continuation of Swedish ferry company Stena Line expansion in the Baltic Sea region, on 19 January the new ferry Stena Baltica made its maiden voyage on the route Ventspils-Nynäshamn. It will operate on this route together with Stena Scandica, replacing Stena Flavia, which in turn will operate together with Stena Livia on the Liepāja-Travemünde route.

In 2021, the terminals operating in the Freeport of Ventspils handled a total of more than 11.1 million tons of cargo. By flexible adaptation to the market conditions, the terminals have managed to increase the proportion of the local cargo in the total cargo volume of the port. A new record has been achieved in the group of goods transported by ferries. 

The last year at the Freeport of Ventspils was saturated with responsible challenges and ordeals, but also with unforgettably positive moments. The next year – number 759, if we count from the moment, when the Port of Ventspils was first mentioned in scriptures – promises to bring no lower responsibilities. But now, let us look back at the brightest moments of 2021. 

This week the loading of another export batch of modular houses was completed in the port of Ventspils, and on Monday the cargo was sent to the customer by the vessel “Baltic Madonna”.

Data on the total number of cargo at the Freeport of Ventspils in 2021 clearly show – the port is changing and the most importantly is to create a local cargo base. In the first 10 months of 2021, the terminals operating in the Freeport of Ventspils handled more than 9 million tons of cargo. The decline in demand for transit of the energy resources had an effect on the total cargo volume. At the same time in those cargo groups that are not directly dependent on the geopolitical conditions indicate a continued steady growth.

On 15th of October 2021 the ambassador at Embassy of Norway in Latvia, Kristian Ødegaard, visited the Freeport of Ventspils authority to meet the project team of one of the largest, ecology-related projects in recent years and to get acquainted with the newest implementation status of the project. The project regarding the remediation from historical oil contamination is being performed by the Freeport of Ventspils authority and the project’s co-financing sources are provided by the Norwegian financial instrument, thus, giving a significant input in the environmental preservation of the Baltic Sea region.

In July, Ventspils Freeport Authority started implementing one of the largest environment clean-up project in Ventspils. In the next three years, it is planned to clean the territory of the former wastewater treatment plant complex “Ūdeka” and the territory of oil pipeline network from the historical oil product contamination, thereby preventing further spread of contamination.. Total value of the project is more than 5 million euros.

Construction of three new production buildings continues in the industrial territory of the Freeport of Ventspils. New factories will be able to start work in them already in autumn of this year. Lease agreements have already been concluded on usage of two of the buildings but it is still possible to apply for lease of the third production unit with the area of 6300 square metres. 

Due to the declaration of an emergency in the Republic of Latvia, the Freeport of Ventspils Authority shall hereby impose the following restrictions and procedures of action at the Port of Ventspils terminals and on-board.

In order to prevent the further spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak in the country, the Latvian authorities have announced increased border controls and a temporary suspension of international passenger transportation from March 17 to April 14.