Ventspils free port
The free port of Ventspils ( Latvian Ventspils Brīvosta ) is a seaport near Ventspils in western Latvia , which is located on the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea .
history
The port of Ventspils was first mentioned in the historical chronicles in 1263. The 17th century was the age of rapid growth and dynamic development for the free port . Under Duke Jacob's reign , more than 135 ships were built in the Ventspils shipyards and sold to other European countries. At that time, Ventspils was an important member of the Hanseatic League , the association of north German trading cities.
The end of the 19th century was also a period of very rapid growth. At that time, the free port of Ventspils was part of the Russian Empire and thus the first Baltic Sea port to be connected by rail with the interior of the country and especially with Moscow and Rybinsk . During the rule of the Soviet Union , the free port developed into a transshipment center for crude oil and petroleum products and was connected to the Russian oil fields by a pipeline . The world's largest terminal for the handling of liquid chemicals ( ammonia ) and potassium salt was also built and operated here.
Current
Nowadays the Ventspils Free Port is a deep water port that is completely free of ice all year round. In terms of cargo throughput , this port is the largest in Latvia and one of the leading ports on the Baltic Sea, and it is among the top 20 in the European port rankings. 1998, the maximum depression of 17.5 meters of the dock has been completed, that the inclusion of the largest sea vehicles the Baltic Sea, Aframax -Tanker maximum freight rate of 130,000 dwt permitted. The dry cargo area and general cargo loading area have been excavated 15.5 meters deep, which enables panamax ships with up to 75,000 tdw. To be accommodated .
Since 1997, the port of Ventspils has, in addition to the free port, the special status of a special economic zone. This status enables companies located in the port area to obtain tax breaks, which creates a positive environment for investment.
The entire port area covers 2623.9 hectares . This includes the commercial area, which is an attractive location for port-related companies, but also for manufacturing and industrial companies. The terminals located at the port process different types of cargo, e.g. B. petroleum products, crude oil, various liquid chemicals, mineral fertilizers, various metals, wood products, coal, grain, juice concentrates, as well as containers and ro-ro loads. Since 2000, Ventspils has been very active in the further development of containers and ro-ro traffic. As a result, container freight from Ventspils to Great Britain is currently regularly carried out by the Geest North Sea Line. Thanks to the strategic decision of the shipping company Stena Line , the port of Ventspils is a central point of contact for ferry transport with connections to Sweden , Germany and Estonia .