The second phase of the extensive Krievu Island Terminal development project, the construction of additional infrastructure, is nearing its end and very soon coal handling will be moved from areas close to the city centre to the new multifunctional terminal on Krievu Island, says the Freeport of Riga Authority. The works on the construction of additional infrastructure in the leased territory of the stevedore company SIA STREK have already been completed. The necessary engineering communications, cargo areas, access railways, as well as a wind-damping fence have been constructed to observe environmental requirements. The company is actively working on the supply and assembly of the technical equipment.
The technological process of coal handling at the new Krievu Island terminal will completely differ from what we are used to seeing in current coal-handling facilities. Sanita Kaire, Project Manager of the Infrastructure Development Department of the Freeport of Riga Authority, said: “The unloading of wagons at the new terminal will be carried out in a closed room, where the wagon unloading equipment is currently installed. It will automatically turn wagons over at an interval of every 3 to 5 minutes. Coal will be poured the from wagons into underground reservoirs through a screen mechanism, which allows sorting the coal at the same time. After sorting into various sizes, coal will be directly fed to the ship or the storage area through a closed conveyor line which is several metres long.
As has been noted earlier, to strictly observe all environmental protection requirements and to prevent the quality of life for residents of the city neighbourhoods adjacent to the Krievu Island territory from deteriorating, cargo areas in the territory of the Krievu Island terminals will be surrounded by a 23-metre-high dust fence. This grand wind-stopping structure will prevent coal dust from spreading to the surrounding environment. The wind fence in the territory of each stevedore company will be approximately one kilometre long. Moreover, the formation of dust in coal storage areas will be also be reduced by the constant wetting of coal: watering during the warm months of the year and covering with snow during the winter, using special snow cannons.
As noted by the environmental expert Valdis Felsbergs, who carried out the environmental impact assessment of the Krievu Island project in 2010 and an additional assessment for the adjusted plan in 2015, the main benefit is not the fact that coal terminals have been moved from one place to another, but rather that modern and maximum clean technology has been created on Krievu Island.