Baltic Coal Terminal

Baltic Coal Terminal is a special-purpose port company established to develop and operate a dedicated coal-handling facility in the Free port of Ventspils, Latvia. The company was incorporated in January 2005, and the terminal project began later that year when the Ventspils City Council issued a construction permit in July 2005. The facility formally opened on 24 November 2008. The terminal was designed for the storage, handling and maritime shipment of coal, with its principal logistics purpose being the movement of Russian coal toward customers in Western Europe and the United States. Its location in Ventspils placed it within Latvia's established Baltic Sea port infrastructure and connected the facility to rail and maritime transport routes serving bulk commodities. The terminal was described as the first closed-end coal terminal in the Baltic region, reflecting its use of enclosed handling and storage arrangements intended to contain coal dust and reduce exposure to the surrounding environment. The project involved several Latvian and international contractors. The Latvian engineering company Ierosme designed the terminal, while construction work was carried out by Ventspils Tirdzniecības Osta-G. A new pier with two coal-handling quays was designed by the architectural offices Veralux Ehitus and built by Latvijas Tilti. Terminal machinery was supplied by FAM Magdeburger Förderanlagen und Baumaschinen, a German manufacturer of bulk-material handling equipment. Reported investment in the project reached approximately €75 million, comprising bank financing and shareholder contributions. The financing syndicate included DnB NORD, Nordea and UniCredit. The terminal's initial annual handling capacity was stated at five million tonnes of coal. A planned second construction phase was intended to increase potential throughput to as much as ten million tonnes per year, although the available reference material does not establish whether that expansion was completed. The company was owned by the Latvian stevedoring business Ventspils Tirdzniecības Osta, also known as Ventspils Commercial Port, and Indtec Baltic Coal, a subsidiary of Indtec Finanse B.V. associated with Coal Company Zarechnaya, the owner of the Zarechnaya coal mine in Russia's Kuznetsk Basin. Historical company leadership identified Alexander Starikov as chairman of the board and Valery Pashuta as vice-chairman. No reliable current operating, ownership or leadership information is established in the supplied sources, so the company's present status should be treated as requiring review.

Baltic Coal Terminal was incorporated as a Latvian joint-stock company in January 2005. Its creation was associated with a plan to establish a dedicated coal-export facility in the Free port of Ventspils, one of Latvia's principal maritime transport hubs. The project received a construction permit from the Ventspils City Council in July 2005. The facility was conceived as a specialized terminal for receiving, storing and loading coal for maritime shipment. Its commercial orientation was the movement of Russian coal to overseas markets, particularly Western Europe and the United States. The terminal's design incorporated enclosed or closed-end handling arrangements, making it distinctive within the Baltic region and providing a means of limiting dust emissions during bulk-material operations. Engineering and construction involved a combination of Latvian and international companies. Ierosme, a Latvian firm, designed the terminal. Ventspils Tirdzniecības Osta-G undertook the construction, while the new pier and its two coal-handling quays were designed by Veralux Ehitus and constructed by Latvijas Tilti. FAM Magdeburger Förderanlagen und Baumaschinen supplied the handling equipment. The project represented an investment of approximately €75 million, funded through a combination of shareholder capital and bank financing. DnB NORD, Nordea and UniCredit were identified as members of the bank syndicate. The terminal officially opened on 24 November 2008. At opening, its stated annual capacity was five million tonnes of coal. A second construction phase was planned to raise throughput to as much as ten million tonnes annually, but the available source does not confirm completion of that phase. The ownership structure connected Latvian port services with Russian coal production. The shareholders were Ventspils Tirdzniecības Osta, a Latvian stevedoring company, and Indtec Baltic Coal, which was described as a subsidiary of Indtec Finanse B.V. associated with Coal Company Zarechnaya. That coal company owned the Zarechnaya mine in the Kuznetsk Basin of Russia. Historical governance information lists Alexander Starikov as chairman of the board and Valery Pashuta as vice-chairman. The reference material does not provide dependable information about subsequent ownership changes, continued operations, sanctions exposure, closure, or the completion of the planned expansion. Accordingly, Baltic Coal Terminal's current corporate and operational status remains uncertain and should be verified against Latvian corporate, port and regulatory records.

• 2008

  Terminal opened

  [1]Baltic Coal Terminalen.wikipedia.org

  The specialized coal terminal officially opened on 24 November.

• 2005

  Company incorporated

  [1]Baltic Coal Terminalen.wikipedia.org

  Baltic Coal Terminal was incorporated as a Latvian joint-stock company in January.

• 2005

  Construction permit issued

  [1]Baltic Coal Terminalen.wikipedia.org

  The Ventspils City Council issued a permit for construction of the coal terminal in July.

A specialized Baltic Sea bulk-logistics operator focused on enclosed coal storage, handling and export through the Free port of Ventspils.

• Bulk port logistics · 2008

  Coal storage and handling

  The terminal provides infrastructure for receiving, storing and moving coal within the Ventspils port complex. Its closed-end design was intended to support controlled handling of coal as a dusty bulk commodity. The stated initial annual capacity was five million tonnes, with a planned second phase potentially increasing throughput to ten million tonnes per year.

• Maritime export services · 2008

  Coal export and ship loading

  Baltic Coal Terminal was built to load coal onto vessels for export from the Free port of Ventspils. The facility included a new pier with two quays designed for coal handling, connecting inland coal supply with maritime customers in Western Europe and the United States.

• 2005

  Development of a dedicated closed-end coal terminalStrategy

  Background

  The company was established to create a specialized Ventspils facility for storing and exporting Russian coal to Western Europe and the United States.

  Action taken

  Baltic Coal Terminal pursued construction of an enclosed coal-handling terminal with dedicated port infrastructure, including a new pier and two quays.

  Aftermath

  The facility opened in 2008 with a stated annual capacity of five million tonnes. The available source describes a possible later expansion to ten million tonnes but does not confirm its completion.

  Reported project investment. €75 million (Project development through the terminal opening in 2008)

  Source

1. 1Baltic Coal Terminalen.wikipedia.org