In 2025, terminals operating at the Port of Ventspils handled a total of 8.53 million tonnes of cargo, which is 3.6% more than in 2024. Cargo volumes continued to grow in all three main segments – oil products, coal and roll-on/roll-off (Ro-Ro) cargo transported by ferries.
Acting Managing Director of the Freeport of Ventspils, Igors Udodovs, said: “This year has clearly marked the port’s shift towards the so-called transshipment port model, where cargo is delivered by ships, processed or stored, and then shipped onward by sea. Previously, the cargo structure was dominated by cargo sent through the port, i.e. delivered by rail or road, but in 2025 this accounted for only 58.2%, with the remaining volume received in the port from ships. The balance between inbound and outbound cargo volumes is evident 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, with transshipment volumes in this segment increasing by 12% in 2025. The second-largest segment by volume was Ro-Ro cargo, at 1.7 million tonnes (20% of total cargo), representing an 18% increase. Meanwhile, the transshipment of Kazakh coal increased by 47%, with inbound and outbound volumes reaching 1.3 million tonnes (15% of total cargo). Smaller shares of total cargo volumes were accounted for by agricultural products (737 thousand tonnes, or 8.6%) and timber products (509 thousand tonnes, or 6%).
This year is also notable for the fact that 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 its first vessel carrying 87-metre-long wind turbine blades – the largest wind turbine blades ever unloaded in any European country. The successful handling of this shipment is also a testament to the competence of the Stena Line Ports Ventspils team in managing non-standard and heavy project cargo. It is planned that 30 such vessels will be received and serviced in Ventspils within a year. Making use of Ventspils’ natural and infrastructural advantages is important both for Latvia’s energy independence and for economic development. If forecasts materialise, the logistics corridor’s contribution to the port alone 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. Last year, four cruise ships also called at the port.
The Freeport of Ventspils is Latvia’s second-largest port in terms of cargo handled at terminals and one of the country’s largest industrial centres. Several dozen manufacturing companies operate within the freeport area. In 2025, the Freeport Authority of Ventspils signed agreements with seven new tenants for the development of new manufacturing projects within the port territory.
Read also: The construction cartel case returns to Parliament – dispute over secret recordings