The Port of Riga has launched a strategic partnership for liquefied propane gas supplies from the United States, following the completion of a EUR 10 million modernisation of the terminal operated by SIA Latvijas Propāna Gāze.
The upgraded facility, which entered operation in January 2026, is the only terminal of its type in the Baltic states and is now capable of receiving large transatlantic LPG tankers.
The inauguration of regular US supplies was marked by the arrival of the tanker Cerro Alto Explorer on February 28, carrying 20,000 tonnes of liquefied propane gas.
Previously, the berth could only handle vessels with a capacity of up to 3,000 tonnes, limiting operations to smaller ships operating within Baltic and European coastal routes.
The infrastructure investments underpinning the upgrade include a 780-metre gas pipeline connecting the deep-water pier to the terminal, along with a reheating technology complex designed to bring LPG from its transport temperature of minus 43 degrees Celsius to ambient temperature during unloading.
Railway infrastructure has also been expanded, increasing the terminal’s capacity to serve the Latvian domestic market as well as Lithuania and Estonia by rail.
Road transport from the terminal currently delivers LPG to Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania and Estonia at an average rate of 110 trucks per day.
The facility also supports ship-to-ship transfer operations, enabling LPG to be reloaded from large transatlantic vessels onto smaller ships for onward delivery to Finland and Scandinavia.
A multi-level autonomous safety system has been installed as part of the unloading infrastructure.
Annual throughput of 400,000 tonnes of LPG from the United States is projected for 2026.
Latvian Economics Minister Viktors Valainis described the development as a strategic step in diversifying the country’s energy supply and reinforcing Latvia’s role as a regional energy hub. Ansis Zeltiņš, CEO of the Freeport of Riga, framed the terminal’s new capabilities as evidence of the port’s ability to attract high value-added cargo from western partners and strengthen its overall competitiveness.
SIA Latvijas Propāna Gāze has indicated plans to further expand LPG storage capacity at the site in the near future.
