Elaboration of a Feasibility Study of the Development of the Historically Contaminated Sediment Disposal Site of the Port of Liepāja Karosta Canal

During the period from August 1 to October 31, 2024, the Liepāja Special Economic Zone Authority was implementing the initiative of the Bilateral Cooperation Fund of the Norwegian Financial Instrument 2014-2021 Programme “Climate Change Mitigation, Adaptation and Environment” “Elaboration of a Feasibility Study of the Development of the Historically Contaminated Sediment Disposal Site of the Port of Liepāja Karosta Canal” (hereinafter referred to as the Initiative).

The Port of Liepāja Karosta Canal and the historical pollution found in its bottom is a unique polluted site degrading the environment of the Baltic Sea not only in Latvia, but also in the entire Baltic Sea region. The Liepāja Special Economic Zone Authority has been implementing targeted activities aimed at the environmental rehabilitation of the Karosta Canal since 1994, as a result of which in 2015 and 2023, large-scale Karosta Canal pollution remediation campaigns have been implemented, removing more than 200 thousand m³ of contaminated sediment from the canal environment and depositing them at the specially built historically contaminated sediment disposal site. The historically contaminated sediment disposal site of the Karosta Canal is a specially demarcated part of the Karosta Canal water area, where safe storage of the deposited contaminated sediment is ensured.

Despite numerous studies devoted to the environmental situation and remediation works of the Karosta Canal and the implemented remediation works of the Karosta Canal, no studies have been conducted so far on the further development of the contaminated sediment disposal site, including limiting the further spread of pollutants deposited therein and developing alternatives for the development of the disposal site and evaluating management scenarios. Therefore, within the framework of the Initiative, in cooperation with Norwegian partners - the Norwegian Institute of Water Research (NIVA) and the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI), which have significant experience not only in the remediation of historical pollution of the marine environment, but also in the creation of contaminated sediment disposal sites and their subsequent management, alternatives for the development of the historically contaminated sediment disposal site of the Karosta Canal of the Liepāja Port was developed and the most feasible management scenarios was determined.

Working together for a green Europe!

The project is funded by the Norwegian Financial Mechanism under the Climate Change Mitigation, Adaptation and Environment programme for the period 2014-2021. The total cost of the project is EUR 264,500.00, of which EUR 264,500.00 is funded by the Norwegian Financial Mechanism.