English
On 18 September, the first Green Baltic X-PRESS container ship ECO UMANDE, powered by green methanol, will arrive at the Port of Riga. The arrival of this vessel will signal the start of regular container traffic along X-Press Feeders' green shipping route: Rotterdam – Antwerp – Bruges – Klaipeda – Riga – Rotterdam. This route will be serviced exclusively by vessels powered by green methanol, an alternative fuel that reduces emissions by at least 60% compared to conventional marine fuels.
The ECO UMANDE was built in China at the New Dayang Shipyard. It has a nominal capacity of 1,260 TEUs and measures 148 meters in length. The ship is equipped with dual-fuel engines capable of running on both conventional fuel and green methanol. X-Press Feeders uses OCI Global green methanol, which is ISCC EU (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification) certified and reduces greenhouse gas emissions by up to 65%. Additionally, the vessel features a shore-side power supply system, allowing for further emission reductions while docked at ports and terminals.
In April 2024, the Port of Hamburg, together with five other European ports - Antwerp-Bruges (Belgium), Tallinn (Estonia), Helsinki (Finland), Hamina-Kotka (Finland) and Klaipeda (Lithuania) - signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with X-Press Feeders to develop green shipping corridors and decarbonise maritime transport in Scandinavia and the Baltic Sea. The cooperation has resulted in two new X-Press Feeders shipping lines, creating the first regular maritime container shipping network in Europe with exclusively green methanol-fuelled vessels.
X-Press Feeders was founded in Singapore in 1972. It is the largest independent feeder carrier in the world, with operations in Asia, the Middle East, Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America and Europe. X-Press Feeders operates a fleet of more than 100 vessels calling over 180 ports worldwide.
X-Press Feeders aims to achieve zero emissions by 2050 and become the greenest sea container carrier. The company has ordered 14 dual-fuel vessels, 4 of which have already been delivered and are in service in Europe, providing the region's first green methanol-fuelled feeder network.
The establishment of green shipping lines in Europe is a crucial step towards achieving not only X-Press Feeders' objectives, but also advancing sustainable shipping, the adoption of green technologies and the decarbonisation of the maritime industry. X-Press Feeders selected the Nordic and Baltic countries as the initial markets to introduce green, methanol-fuelled ships as both the ports and clients in these countries are highly receptive to sustainability initiatives.
Moreover, the Port of Riga is boosting its sustainability and competitive advantage by joining X-Press Feeders and other European ports in promoting green shipping and creating more environmentally friendly shipping corridors. The availability of green energy not only makes the port more efficient and safer, but also meets customer demands for greener transport solutions, increasing the port's attractiveness for new freight and investment projects.
Container transport and container logistics is a particularly important segment of the Port of Riga's activities. Last year, for the first time in the history of the Port of Riga, containerised cargo was the largest cargo group and accounted for 27% of the Port's total cargo portfolio. Furthermore, that year in the container segment ended with a new record - for the first time in history, more than 5 million tonnes of container cargo (465.4 thousand TEUs) were handled. Compared to the previous year, container volumes increased by +9.8%. According to the current year's data the growth in the container segment continues - in 8 months the port handled 3.25 million tonnes of container cargo (321.1 thousand TEUs), which is 1.4% more than last year. The share of container cargo in the port's cargo portfolio is currently 28%.
The first green methanol-fuelled container ship ECO UMANDE will arrive at the Baltic Container Terminal (BCT), the largest terminal in the Port of Riga, where the Freeport of Riga Authority in cooperation with BCT and X-Press Feeders is organising the official welcome ceremony for its maiden visit to the Port of Riga.
Information for media
- liene.ozola [at] rop.lv, +371 670 308 53
- Freeport of Riga Authority
- 12 Kalpaka blvd, Riga, Latvia, LV-1010
