Free port of Ventspils
Encyclopedia
Free Port of Ventspils is a seaport located on the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea
(57° 24' N, 21° 32' E), western part of Latvia
.
For the first time Port of Ventspils
was mentioned in historical chronicles in 1263. 17th century for port of Ventspils was a period of a very rapid growth and dynamic development, where during the rule of Duke Jacob in the shipyards of Ventspils more than 135 ships were built and sold to Europe
an countries. Ventspils was an important member of the Hanseatic League
– union of North German
trading cities. Next period of a very dynamic growth was at the end of 19th century, when being a part of Russia
n Empire Ventspils port as first port on the Baltic Sea was connected with railway to Russia’s inland – to the cities of Moscow
and Rybinsk
. During the rule of Soviet Union
Ventspils port evolved as a very important handling centre for oil and oil products and was linked to Russian oil
fields with an oil pipeline
. Later on the largest terminals in world for handling of liquid chemicals (ammonia) as well as potassium salt were constructed and operated in Ventspils.
Nowadays Free port of Ventspils is a deepwater port, which is ice-free the whole year round. Based on the cargo turnover Free Port of Ventspils is the largest Latvian port and one of the leading ports on Baltic Sea, at the same time being in top 20 of European ports list. In 1998 deepening of the harbour was completed, which ensured the maximum in the port of 17,5 m in liquid bulk area, allowing accommodation of the largest vessels calling the Baltic Sea
– Aframax
size tankers with maximum . Dry bulk and general cargo area was deepened to 15,5m allowing terminals to accommodate Panamax
type vessels of up to .
Since year 1997 Port of Ventspils has a Free port or special economic zone status, which allows the companies located in the port territory to acquire tax incentives thus creating favourable environment for investments.
Total area of the port is 2623,9 ha which is a good location not only for port related companies but as well as manufacturing and industrial companies. The terminals located in the port handle different type of cargoes like oil products, crude oil, different liquid chemicals, mineral fertilizers, various metals, forest products, coal, grain, juice concentrates as well as containers and Ro-Ro cargoes. Since 2000 Ventspils port is very actively developing container and ro-ro traffic. As a result presently a regular container line from Ventspils to Great Britain is serviced by Geest North Sea Line. Thanks to strategic decision of the company Scandlines
Ventspils port is a centre for ferry transportation, with connections to Sweden
, Germany
and Russia
.
Additional information:
www.scandlines.com
Maintenance and management of the pipelines is carried out by Latvian – Russian joint-stock company LatRosTrans.
www.lrt.lv
www.ventbunkers.lv
AS Ventamonjaks handles various chemical products. The terminal owns the storage capacities of 54 000 tons at once, ensuring the cargo turnover of up to 1.35 million tons per year. 3 deepwater berths can accommodate vessels of 50 000 DWT.
www.ventamonjaks.lv
SIA Ventall Terminals is providing storage and transshipment of oil products. The storage capacities of the terminal fluctuate form 67 000 till 80 000 tons, depending on the characteristics of the cargo. The annual throughput capacities reach 1.5 million tons.
Baltic Juice Terminal (SIA OVERSEAS Estates) is the most modern FCOJ terminal in the world located in the Free Port of Ventspils, Latvia. It was constructed in 2006 and is capable of processing a minimum of 100.000 MT of FCOJ annually. BJT offers a full range of FCOJ transshipment, storage and processing services, including mixing, blending and laboratory analysis. www.bjt.lv
AS Kalija Parks is the largest mineral fertilizer transshipment terminal in Europe, and is transshipping around 20% potash sold world-wide. 2 PANAMAX type vessels (up to 75 000 DWT) can be simultaneously loaded by the berths of the terminal. The total storage capacity of the company is 120 000 tons, and in short-term prospective storage capacities will be expanded by 70 000 tons.
AS Ventspils Commercial Port is specializing in transshipment of the wide variety of general cargoes: coal, ferro-alloys, grain, pig iron, sugar, metals, cotton, timber, etc. Company operates on 9 berths (with maximum depth 15.5 m) and 160 000 m2 open storage, as well as 85 000 m2 closed storage areas.
www.vto.lv
SIA Noord Natie Ventspils Terminals is the state-of-art terminal in the Baltic Sea region in terms of equipment. The terminal provides handling of a large spectrum of cargo nomenclature: containers, Ro-Ro cargoes, cargoes in tanks, metal cargoes, reefer containers, trailers, heavy lift cargoes (up to 100 tons) and other types of general cargo. Company operates 2 berths of 254 m and 300 m length and 14.2 m depth, and closed warehouse of 5 200 m2, which will be expanded to 7 200 m2.
www.nnvt.lv
SIA Ventplac is offering transshipment and storage services for timber products. Current throughput volume is 0.5 million tons, but the maximum capacity of the terminal is more than 1 million tons. Forrest products are delivered to the port via roads and railroads, then transshipped and transported to various destinations including Sweden, Finland, Norway and UK on vessels ranging from 0.5 to 4.5 DWT. Company is also transshipping woodchips and peat.
www.ventplac.lv
AS Ventspils Grain Terminal is a specialised grain warehousing and transshipment port terminal with calculated annual handling capacities reaching 2,5 mln. tons. The total storage capacities at once are 130 000 tons of grain. At the specialised deepwater berth of the terminal it is possible to accommodate a PANAMAX type vessel with 75 000 DWT. Loading speed of the terminal capacities reach 1 500 tons per hour.
www.vgt.lv
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
(57° 24' N, 21° 32' E), western part of Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
.
For the first time Port of Ventspils
Ventspils
Ventspils is a city in northwestern Latvia in the Courland historical region of Latvia, the sixth largest city in the country. As of 2006, Ventspils had a population of 43,806. Ventspils is situated on the Venta River and the Baltic Sea, and has an ice-free port...
was mentioned in historical chronicles in 1263. 17th century for port of Ventspils was a period of a very rapid growth and dynamic development, where during the rule of Duke Jacob in the shipyards of Ventspils more than 135 ships were built and sold to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an countries. Ventspils was an important member of the Hanseatic League
Hanseatic League
The Hanseatic League was an economic alliance of trading cities and their merchant guilds that dominated trade along the coast of Northern Europe...
– union of North German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
trading cities. Next period of a very dynamic growth was at the end of 19th century, when being a part of Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n Empire Ventspils port as first port on the Baltic Sea was connected with railway to Russia’s inland – to the cities of Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
and Rybinsk
Rybinsk
Rybinsk is the second largest city of Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia, which lies at the confluence of the Volga and Sheksna Rivers. Population: It is served by Rybinsk Staroselye airport.-Early history:...
. During the rule of Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
Ventspils port evolved as a very important handling centre for oil and oil products and was linked to Russian oil
Oil
An oil is any substance that is liquid at ambient temperatures and does not mix with water but may mix with other oils and organic solvents. This general definition includes vegetable oils, volatile essential oils, petrochemical oils, and synthetic oils....
fields with an oil pipeline
Pipeline transport
Pipeline transport is the transportation of goods through a pipe. Most commonly, liquids and gases are sent, but pneumatic tubes that transport solid capsules using compressed air are also used....
. Later on the largest terminals in world for handling of liquid chemicals (ammonia) as well as potassium salt were constructed and operated in Ventspils.
Nowadays Free port of Ventspils is a deepwater port, which is ice-free the whole year round. Based on the cargo turnover Free Port of Ventspils is the largest Latvian port and one of the leading ports on Baltic Sea, at the same time being in top 20 of European ports list. In 1998 deepening of the harbour was completed, which ensured the maximum in the port of 17,5 m in liquid bulk area, allowing accommodation of the largest vessels calling the Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
– Aframax
Aframax
An ' ship is an oil tanker smaller than and with a breadth above 32.31 m. The term is based on the Average Freight Rate Assessment tanker rate system. class tankers are largely used in the basins of the Black Sea, the North Sea, the Caribbean Sea, the China Sea and the Mediterranean...
size tankers with maximum . Dry bulk and general cargo area was deepened to 15,5m allowing terminals to accommodate Panamax
Panamax
Panamax and New Panamax are popular terms for the size limits for ships traveling through the Panama Canal. Formally, the limits and requirements are published by the Panama Canal Authority titled "Vessel Requirements"...
type vessels of up to .
Since year 1997 Port of Ventspils has a Free port or special economic zone status, which allows the companies located in the port territory to acquire tax incentives thus creating favourable environment for investments.
Total area of the port is 2623,9 ha which is a good location not only for port related companies but as well as manufacturing and industrial companies. The terminals located in the port handle different type of cargoes like oil products, crude oil, different liquid chemicals, mineral fertilizers, various metals, forest products, coal, grain, juice concentrates as well as containers and Ro-Ro cargoes. Since 2000 Ventspils port is very actively developing container and ro-ro traffic. As a result presently a regular container line from Ventspils to Great Britain is serviced by Geest North Sea Line. Thanks to strategic decision of the company Scandlines
Scandlines
Scandlines is a major German-Danish ferry operator.It consists of a parent company, Scandlines AG, and under this parent company a German subsidiary named Scandlines Deutschland GmbH and a Danish subsidiary named Scandlines Danmark A/S...
Ventspils port is a centre for ferry transportation, with connections to Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
.
Ferry lines
Currently Free Port of Ventspils services two regular ferry lines:- Ventspils – Nynäshamn, 5 times a week, operator: Scandlines;
- Ventspils – Travemunde, 2 times a week, operator: Scandlines;
Additional information:
www.scandlines.com
Pipelines
Ventspils is linked to oil extraction fields and transportation routes of Russian Federation via system of two pipelines:- Crude oil pipeline (Polotsk - Ventspils) with annual capacity 16 mln t;
- Oil product pipeline (Polotsk - Ventspils) with annual capacity 6 mln t.
Maintenance and management of the pipelines is carried out by Latvian – Russian joint-stock company LatRosTrans.
www.lrt.lv
Road Network
Ventspils has convenient road connections, i.e. main road to the capital of the country Riga, which is located 189 km from Ventspils, as well as European significance two-tract road E22 (Great Britain – the Netherlands – Germany – Sweden (Norkoping) – Ventspils – Moscow), which allows further distribution from Ventspils to Russia and CIS.Railways
The East – West railway corridor through Ventspils is one of the most utilized in Europe. Each year around 20 million tons of various cargoes are transported via the route. With co-financing of EIB and EBRD, SJSC Latvijas dzelzcels has implemented an important development project - East-West railway corridor througput capacity was increased from 20 mln. tons up to 34 mln. tons.Terminals
AS Ventbunkers handles various light and heavy oil products, as well as offers forwarding services, ballast/bilge water collection and treatment. Storage capacity of the terminal is 275 000 m3, and throughput capacity of the terminal reaches 10 million tons per year.www.ventbunkers.lv
AS Ventamonjaks handles various chemical products. The terminal owns the storage capacities of 54 000 tons at once, ensuring the cargo turnover of up to 1.35 million tons per year. 3 deepwater berths can accommodate vessels of 50 000 DWT.
www.ventamonjaks.lv
SIA Ventall Terminals is providing storage and transshipment of oil products. The storage capacities of the terminal fluctuate form 67 000 till 80 000 tons, depending on the characteristics of the cargo. The annual throughput capacities reach 1.5 million tons.
Baltic Juice Terminal (SIA OVERSEAS Estates) is the most modern FCOJ terminal in the world located in the Free Port of Ventspils, Latvia. It was constructed in 2006 and is capable of processing a minimum of 100.000 MT of FCOJ annually. BJT offers a full range of FCOJ transshipment, storage and processing services, including mixing, blending and laboratory analysis. www.bjt.lv
Dry bulk and general cargo terminals in Free Port of Ventspils
A line of companies are working in dry bulk and general cargo area, where maximum depth reaches 15.5 m, allowing terminals to accommodate vessels of up to 75 000 DWT.AS Kalija Parks is the largest mineral fertilizer transshipment terminal in Europe, and is transshipping around 20% potash sold world-wide. 2 PANAMAX type vessels (up to 75 000 DWT) can be simultaneously loaded by the berths of the terminal. The total storage capacity of the company is 120 000 tons, and in short-term prospective storage capacities will be expanded by 70 000 tons.
AS Ventspils Commercial Port is specializing in transshipment of the wide variety of general cargoes: coal, ferro-alloys, grain, pig iron, sugar, metals, cotton, timber, etc. Company operates on 9 berths (with maximum depth 15.5 m) and 160 000 m2 open storage, as well as 85 000 m2 closed storage areas.
www.vto.lv
SIA Noord Natie Ventspils Terminals is the state-of-art terminal in the Baltic Sea region in terms of equipment. The terminal provides handling of a large spectrum of cargo nomenclature: containers, Ro-Ro cargoes, cargoes in tanks, metal cargoes, reefer containers, trailers, heavy lift cargoes (up to 100 tons) and other types of general cargo. Company operates 2 berths of 254 m and 300 m length and 14.2 m depth, and closed warehouse of 5 200 m2, which will be expanded to 7 200 m2.
www.nnvt.lv
SIA Ventplac is offering transshipment and storage services for timber products. Current throughput volume is 0.5 million tons, but the maximum capacity of the terminal is more than 1 million tons. Forrest products are delivered to the port via roads and railroads, then transshipped and transported to various destinations including Sweden, Finland, Norway and UK on vessels ranging from 0.5 to 4.5 DWT. Company is also transshipping woodchips and peat.
www.ventplac.lv
AS Ventspils Grain Terminal is a specialised grain warehousing and transshipment port terminal with calculated annual handling capacities reaching 2,5 mln. tons. The total storage capacities at once are 130 000 tons of grain. At the specialised deepwater berth of the terminal it is possible to accommodate a PANAMAX type vessel with 75 000 DWT. Loading speed of the terminal capacities reach 1 500 tons per hour.
www.vgt.lv