The Port of Riga remains fully operational and safe for navigation, with no traffic restrictions currently in effect.
Despite the onset of the ice navigation season, vessel traffic at the Port of Riga remains unrestricted. The port is fully safe for navigation, with no limitations currently in effect.
Seven tugboats from two different companies operate within the port waters, three of which are ice-class vessels. Port clients may select their preferred tugboat service provider based on safety and reliability.
Furthermore, the multifunctional ice-class vessel LAURA, acquired last year by LVR Flote, is actively providing icebreaking services in the port water area.
The Freeport of Riga Authority maintains winter navigation not only within the port’s aquatorium but also, where feasible, along the fairway from the port to the Irbe Strait.
A key strategic priority for the Freeport of Riga Authority is to ensure the port’s uninterrupted operation and the safe passage of vessels.
Icebreaking in the Gulf of Riga is spearheaded by the icebreaker VARMA. Following an order from the Harbor Master last week, the VARMA was deployed to the Gulf of Riga to support vessels at sea, clearing ice and securing transit routes to and from the port.
The icebreaker VARMA is currently managing navigation in the Gulf of Riga, adapting its operations to shifting ice and meteorological conditions.
Currently, sea ice in the bay averages 15–35 cm in thickness; however, wind-driven pressure is causing significant ice ridging and stacking in several areas.
The icebreaker VARMA is powered by a diesel-electric propulsion system featuring four main engines (4 × 2541 kW), delivering a total output of 10,164 kW equivalent to approximately 13,819 horsepower.
Five auxiliary engines, with a combined capacity of 1,642 kW, support the vessel’s internal systems.
The 84.1-meter-long ship features a reinforced steel hull and four propellers specifically designed for icebreaking.
The icebreaker clears transit routes by driving its mass onto the ice field to fracture it, effectively opening a channel for other vessels.
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