In 2025, the terminals operating at the Freeport of Ventspils handled a total of 8.53 million tonnes of cargo, which is a 3.6% increase compared to 2024. Cargo volumes continued to grow across all three major segments - oil products, coal, and Ro-Ro (roll-on/roll-off) cargo transported by ferries.
Igors Udodovs, Acting CEO of the Freeport of Ventspils Authority, stated:
“2025 has been clearly marked by the port’s transition towards transshipment port model, which means that cargo is delivered by vessels, processed or stored, and then shipped out by vessels. Previously, the cargo structure was dominated by cargo dispatched through the port, i.e. delivered by rail or road, but in 2025 this accounted for only 58.2%, with the remaining volume received at the port by sea. The balance between inbound and outbound cargo volumes has been achieved in the two largest segments - oil products and coal.”
Almost half of all cargo handled at the port - 4 million tonnes, or 47% - consisted of oil products, which saw a 12% increase in 2025. The second-largest segment by volume was Ro-Ro cargo, totalling 1.7 million tonnes (20% of all cargo), representing an 18% increase. Meanwhile, the Kazakh coal transshipment increased by 47%, with seaborne inbound and outbound volumes reaching 1.3 million tonnes (15% of total cargo). Agricultural products accounted for a comparatively smaller share of total cargo volumes - 737 thousand tonnes (8.6%) - as did timber products, with 509 thousand tonnes (6%).
This year is also significant since the Port of Ventspils has become a unique logistics corridor capable of handling road cargo convoys up to 100 metres in length. In June, the port received the first vessel carrying 87-metre-long wind turbine blades - the largest wind turbine blades ever unloaded in any European country. The successful operation also serves as confirmation of the Stena Line Ports Ventspils team’s expertise in handling non-standard and heavy project cargo. It is planned to receive and service 30 such vessels in Ventspils within a year. Leveraging Ventspils’ natural and infrastructure advantages is important both for Latvia’s energy independence and for economic development. If forecasts hold, the logistics corridor’s contribution directly to the port over a five-year period will amount to several million euros.
The Port of Ventspils also continues to be the main maritime transport hub for passengers travelling to Scandinavia. In 2025, the port served 270,283 passengers, which is 4.5% more than in 2024. The port also welcomed four cruise ships last year.
The freeport of Ventspils is the second-largest port in Latvia in terms of cargo handled at its terminals and one of the country’s major industrial centres. Several dozen manufacturing companies operate within the Ventspils Freeport. In 2025, the Freeport of Ventspils Authority concluded agreements with seven new tenants for the development of new manufacturing projects within the freeport territory.