On January 31, the Port of Riga welcomed the Dutch-flagged container vessel M/V Essence, belonging to the international shipping line Ocean Network Express (ONE), for the first time. The 1,436 TEU vessel will call at the Port of Riga weekly as part of the updated Baltic Bridge Express (BBX) route, connecting the largest ports in Europe: Rotterdam, Klaipeda, Riga, Tallinn and Kotka.
“We are delighted to launch the new Baltic Bridge Express service in the Baltic Sea, designed to provide ONE clients with even wider port coverage. Thus, we would like to share our commitment to optimise our container network and provide even more reliable delivery solutions for our clients,” said Svetlana Mackeviča, Managing Director of Transocean Latvia SIA, representing Ocean Network Express.
The company, created by combining the container businesses of K-Line, MOL and NYK, operates a fleet of more than 240 vessels with a total capacity of 1.9 million TEU, offering regular routes to 120 countries.
The Port of Riga strengthens its position as a key container hub in Latvia, providing regular calls for eight major shipping lines, including CMA CGM, MSC and Unifeeder. In 2024, the port’s container segment reached a record volume of 501.9 thousand TEU, exceeding the half-million mark for the first time in history.