Home World Introducing green technologies in cargo handling at Port of Riga

Introducing green technologies in cargo handling at Port of Riga


The project is implemented with the support of the Norwegian Financial Mechanism funding within the framework of the open call “Application of green industry innovation and ICT products and technologies “. The project total cost is 1.3 million euro , of which 583.8 thousand euro is support funding. The project is planned to be implemented by spring 2024.

“Due to the need to increase the terminal’s energy efficiency, we assessed the needs of our clients and the demand for new technologies. As a result of the project implementation, clients will get better service and save costs, while the terminal will be able to optimize the cargo handling process, providing more energy efficient and environmentally friendly services. According to our estimates, by operating the new mobile crane we would be able to reduce CO2 emissions by 85%, in addition, the terminal will accommodate larger-sized ships and tranship bigger cargo amounts. With the introduction of a digitized loading system, the efficiency of client transport will also be increased, reducing the number of harmful emissions and avoiding excess weight of cargo vehicles,” said Sergejs Piskunovs, Jaunmīlgrāvja ostas kompānija Board member, highlighting the benefits of the project implementation.

“The Port of Riga is the country’s largest transport hub. It has at its disposal waterways, adjacent areas, knowledge and unique infrastructure. Along with cargo transportation, we are currently actively moving towards developing services that can provide added value and help to strengthen the competitiveness of the port’s clients in the world. We have set a goal to become the location where various new and environmentally friendly technologies are united, providing a platform for bold innovations and future-shaping change. Operating in the region’s largest hydrogen valley is our opportunity to actively participate in the initial development and pioneering of various technological innovations, to be at the core of the region’s innovation knowledge, as well as not only to be involved in the development of a common hydrogen strategy and vision for the region, but also to demonstrate and pilot real and economically viable solutions,” said Viesturs Zeps, Chairman of the Freeport of Riga Board.

Jaunmīlgrāvja ostas kompānija is one of the port’s largest stevedoring companies. In 2022, it ranked 7th among all port stevedores in terms of the volume of transhipped cargo, while it was the second largest company in the forestry cargo segment. The volume of cargo at the terminal is growing steadily, and in 2022 it reached 0.8 million tons, which is the historically highest annual turnover of the terminal.

“Our goal is to create a modern and competitive port terminal by investing our own efforts and funds. In recent years, we have made significant investments in the reconstruction of berths, modernization of equipment and improvement of the terminal infrastructure. Due to a smart investment strategy, rational planning of cargo handling and vessel calls, as well as successful cooperation with clients, we are able to increase the transhipped cargo volume from year to year,” added Sergejs Piskunovs.

Previous articleAPM Terminals’ pathway to decarbonising operation terminals
Next articleBlue Wasp study demonstrates the benefits of adding a flap to a Flettner