Removal of ammonia cargo from Ventamonjaks terminal has begun

  • 2022-05-20
  • LETA/TBT Staff

RIGA - A liquefied ammonia cargo, which has to be removed from a sanctioned terminal at the Freeport of Ventspils, is being loaded into a ship, which will take it away from the port, LETA was told at the State Environmental Service.

The vessel arrived at the port on Thursday. Representatives of Ventamonjaks indicated that the loading of the ammonia cargo, which started last night, will soon be completed and the ship will leave the port this weekend.

The State Environmental Service said that it will take two tankers to remove the whole ammonia cargo from Ventspils. Once the first ship departs from the port, another one will be ready to start loading the remaining ammonia. 

The State Environmental Service said that the situation is under control and the operation is not posing any safety risks related to the storage of liquefied ammonia. Once the ammonia cargo is taken away, the State Environmental Service will order the suspension of the terminal's operations and its conservation, which will take several months. 

As reported, the State Environmental Service had instructed Ventamonjaks to remove around 40,000 tons of liquid ammonia from its terminal in the port of Ventspils by May 20. Ventamonjaks, which has been subject to Western sanctions over Russia's military aggression, warned earlier that due to the sanctions it could only guarantee a safe storage of the chemical until mid-May. 

A 55 percent stake in Ventamonjaks belongs to the Cyprus-registered company Uralchem Freight Limited Kipra, which in turn belongs to Belarusian-Russian oligarch Dmitry Mazepin. The remaining 45 percent in Ventamonjaks belong to Halcyon Capitals, whose owner is Janis Austrins, the son-in-law of former Ventspils mayor Aivars Lembergs.