FerryStena Line continues its commitment to trade growth and resilience in the Baltic Sea. The ferry company will acquire all shares in the port operator Terrabalt in Liepaja, Latvia. By acquiring the Latvian company Terrabalt, Stena Line takes over the operation of the ro-ro, bulk and general cargo terminal in Liepaja, Latvia’s third-largest port. The Liepaja port is managed within the framework of the Liepaja Special Economic Zone (SEZ), a free trade zone established in 1997 that includes the port, industrial area, and airport.
Stena Line currently operates the Liepaja-Travemünde route with the two Visentini ro-pax vessels STENA HORIZON and STENA FLAVIA. “Trade and supply chain resilience requires a long-term perspective, and in close partnership with the Latvian State, Liepaja Special Economic Zone, and not least our customers, we continue to build for the future”, says Carl-Johan Hellner, COO Ports & Terminals at Stena Line.
Stena Line’s Baltic Sea network also includes services on the Ventspils–Nynäshamn route with two, likewise Visentini, but lengthened and rebuilt, ro-pax vessels STENA BALTICA and STENA SCANDICA. Since May 2023, Stena Line also owns the port operations in Ventspils, the country’s second largest port. The Gdynia–Karlskrona route is operated with the three vessels STENA ESTELLE, STENA EBBA and STENA SPIRIT, and the company also holds a majority stake in the port operator KBP (Karlskrona Baltic Port). The Trelleborg–Rostock route is operated with Sweden’s only two ferries with rail capacity SKÅNE and MECKLENBURG-VORPOMMERN, which are an important component of rail traffic redundancy and the connection with continental Europe.
“With this acquisition, we strengthen our own position and secure the future conditions for our customers in the region. We look forward to developing the port and its infrastructure for safe and high-quality operations,” Niclas Mårtensson concludes. The acquisition of the port operator is subject to approval by the Latvian competition authority and other institutions. Until approval, the current owners will continue to operate the terminals. The commercial details of the agreement are not disclosed in this communication.
