Rīga’s future port terminal could expect passengers in 2030 / Article

The local government is ready to develop the access roads and the area around the planned terminal. However, due to a lack of funding, the Riga Free Port Authority plans to implement the project in stages, with the second berth being built later than originally planned.

The ugly brick building, built during the Soviet era and currently used as a partially functioning warehouse, is located approximately two kilometres from the current ferry terminal, unsuitable for large liners. The approximately three-storey building is planned to be converted into a new passenger port, according to Jūlija Bērziņa, a member of the board of the private developer Riga Ropax Terminal.

The new terminal is planned to be built in the currently guarded area near the former railway crossing next to the intersection of Eksporta and Ūmeo streets. According to the Lursoft database, the real beneficiary of the fenced-off area is one of the richest people in Latvia, Leonids Esterkins, a shareholder and board member of Rietumu Bank. He is also deputy chairman of the board of the Andrejsala development project ‘Riga Waterfront’, in which the main investor is an Arab businessman. The future passenger port is being designed by the renowned foreign architectural firm Zaha Hadid Architects.

“Right next to the building, in a straight line, there are three berths that are intended to be used for three types of ships. One is for ferry boats, which we are familiar with in Riga as Tallink ships, the second type is cruise ships, which many Rīga residents can see in the city centre during the summer season. The third type of ship is cargo ships that transport cargo that is loaded and unloaded from the ship. Conceptually, we would integrate these three piers into two, with a ramp built between them, from which cars, trucks and cargo would be loaded onto the ship,” explained Bērziņa.

The company plans to invest just under €50 million in the development of the terminal and its surroundings, while another €40 million will come from the Riga Freeport Authority, which owns the berths.

The investor plans to start construction work in 2028 at the latest, with the first passengers arriving in 2030.

However, before construction can begin, two preliminary studies are required – one from the municipality and one from the Riga Free Port Authority – followed by design work, said Bērziņa:

“A new turning basin will be built near the ED dam, which will be partially dismantled, while on land we will have a beautiful new building designed for these functions, car parks, bus stops, bicycle parking, a public square and a promenade. The last section concerns the Riga City Council – public infrastructure, two connections to Eksporta Street. In the more distant future, the straightening and reconstruction of Ūmeo Street and public transport. This estimate has not yet been made.”

The total cost of all infrastructure construction could ultimately exceed EUR 100 million.

Referring to a previous assessment, Bērziņa said that the plan is to serve around one million passengers per year:

“We are talking about approximately one million passengers per year, which is a significant contribution, considering that there is currently no [regular] ferry service from Riga to other cities. With the possibility, given the infrastructure, of increasing this to one and a half million per year. Of course, a significant benefit is a well-organised environment, including a well-organised area that would also be accessible to residents of neighbouring areas.”

She estimated that for the company, the project could pay for itself in at least 15 years, but for the Free Port Authority, possibly even twice as long.

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