In partnership with one of the leading port design experts – the Dutch company Witteveen+Bos – a study on adjusting the port of Ventspils to serve offshore wind farms has been finalized. The researchers have stated two central conclusions: the port of Ventspils can already offer sufficient services to the developers of offshore wind farms, and to make full use of its potential, it is crucial to construct an effective terminal near the Northern Pier in the port of Ventspils from the point of view of expenditures and usage.
Igors Udodovs, the Deputy CEO of the Freeport of Ventspils: “To achieve the goals of energy independence and environmental sustainability, renewable energy projects are developing in the Baltic Sea region. This is not only an important shift in the energy field but also alters the way ports can aid in the overall process of sustaining and growing the economy. After more than a century of primarily serving as a transit point for fossil fuel supplies, nowadays, the port of Ventspils has the potential to become an energy port with much broader capabilities, operating concurrently with current business initiatives. This includes the export of Latvian goods and renewable energy sources as well as the hydrogen economy. We have chosen to follow this development path gradually, beginning with assessing the existing potential and prospects. Thanks to our collaborative efforts with Witteveen+Bos, a globally renowned organization in this sector, currently we have a strategy, justification, and calculations available so that offshore wind farms can get the finest service in Ventspils.”
To maintain offshore wind farms, a land-based technical maintenance base is required. The port of Ventspils may be able to offer services associated with assisting offshore wind farms since it is situated in the most beneficial and accessible location among the proposed wind farms. At the beginning of 2023, after engaging the Dutch engineering consulting company Witteveen+Bos, the Freeport of Ventspils began work on the study “Evaluation of the possibilities of the port of Ventspils for servicing offshore wind farms and related infrastructure”.
The study’s initial objective was to evaluate the existing infrastructure and its possibilities and model the creation of a new terminal in the Northern Port, which is a large, developable area of the port in the northern direction. But while the research was being conducted, Witteven+Bos developed a new plan for the port’s expansion that would be even more appealing in terms of expenses and effectiveness, as well as for the advancement of private investors’ concepts and the purposeful use of public infrastructure. That is, the experts suggested redeveloping Pier 35 in the Northern Pier by establishing a new port area spanning roughly 50 hectares, hence providing additional space for the construction and upkeep of wind farms. A technology solution, wave impact modeling, and other preliminary work have been finished to confirm that the development plan is valid regarding efficiency, cost, and safety.
Christiaan Loeber, Technical manager of the Witteveen+Bos expert team: “Witteveen+Bos investigated the port of Ventspils’s potential offer to offshore wind farm developers. Best practices for the construction and the upkeep of offshore wind farms at European ports were examined as part of the review, and functional requirements for terminals were established. The suitability of existing port terminals for the requirements of offshore wind farm developers was assessed based on these factors. At the same time, expansion possibilities to the north of the existing pier were explored, including the creation of new piers, areas, and terminals.
Oskars Zivtiņš, the CEO of Co., Ltd. “Witteveen+Bos Latvia”: “The experts of the company Witteveen+Bos concluded that the port of Ventspils would already be ready to offer its aids for offshore wind park developers after evaluating the port’s compliance with the functional requirements, which are set in other European ports for the construction and management of offshore wind farm projects. Building new terminals at the Northern Port is feasible by breaking up the process into logical and investment-based segments. Moreover, a rather important circumstance is that the port of Ventspils is in a prime geographic location concerning the building sites for offshore wind farms planned in the region.”
Presently, the Freeport of Ventspils Authority is in active negotiations with possible investors who may be willing to collaborate in the development of a new terminal. The project concept, developed as a result of the study “Evaluation of the possibilities of the port of Ventspils for servicing offshore wind farms and related infrastructure” conducted by Co., Ltd. “Witteveen+Bos Latvia” will be submitted for approval in the municipality of Ventspils to the responsible institutions of the Latvian state.
Ventspils is one of the largest ports on the Baltic Sea’s east coast and the third-biggest industrial hub in Latvia. To change the port’s traditional operation from fossil energy transit to project management for renewable energy, green fuel storage and transport aids, food, and Latvian production export node, the Freeport of Ventspils has been actively working on new development projects in recent years. The merchant has initiated the environmental impact assessment procedure, and Ventspils is the only port in Latvia that has already finalized a long-term building rights agreement for the construction of a hydrogen plant.
For more information
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Igors Udodovs Deputy Executive Officer of the Freeport of Ventspils, Direct Phone: +371 63602301 |
