The volume of oil products handled at the Port of Ventspils has increased by 66.5%. Half of all cargo and the largest year-on-year growth came from the liquid bulk segment, reports vs.lv.
In the first half of 2025, terminals operating in the Ventspils Freeport transshipped a total of 4.48 million tons of cargo – a 14.5% increase compared to the same period in 2024. Cargo volumes increased in all three major segments: oil products, coal, and roll-on/roll-off (Ro-Ro) cargo.
Half of the total cargo – 2.4 million tons – came from liquid bulk, marking the most significant growth. Ro-Ro cargo ranked second with 808 thousand tons in six months, a 20.6% increase. The handling of coal from Kazakhstan was also more active this year – reaching 656 thousand tons, which is 22.7% more than a year ago.
VS.lv notes that the terminals at Ventspils Port also handled various types of wood products (pellets, wood chips, timber) and agricultural products (biodiesel, palm and sunflower oils, grain, malt, rapeseed and bran pellets, peas, etc.), as well as liquid chemicals, peat, and other types of cargo. Compared to the previous year, there was a decrease in the transshipment of wood and agricultural products, while
manganese ore handling has completely stopped due to the imposed sanctions.
Acting CEO of the Ventspils Freeport, Igors Udodovs, emphasized:
“Historically, Ventspils Port was developed as a hub for large volumes of fossil energy resources – with powerful terminals for transshipping oil products and coal. Any geopolitical fluctuations in this type of transit significantly impact Ventspils in particular. We are pleased that some terminals have successfully restructured their operational models, shifting from the traditional East–West transit model to one based on receiving cargo by sea, storing, processing, and then re-exporting it by sea. At the same time, we are moving forward with the transition of Ventspils Port from a fossil fuel transit hub to an energy port concept, with a strong emphasis on renewable energy in its broadest sense. One of the current focal points is the development of an oversized cargo logistics corridor from Ventspils, which will play a vital role in the supply chain for offshore wind park development in the Baltic States.”
Ventspils Freeport is Latvia’s second-largest port by cargo volume and one of the country’s major industrial centers. In 2024, Ventspils ranked third among Latvia’s large cities in terms of total industrial output. However, it ranked first in both production and export volumes per capita, significantly outperforming other cities.
Half of the total cargo (2.4 million tons), as well as the largest year-on-year growth, was in the liquid bulk category.
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