At the Riga Port, AS “RIKON” – the only manufacturer of portal cranes in the Baltic States – has presented unique Double Jib Level Luffing Cranes. They were built for a customer from Turkey and will soon be shipped to the port of Isdemir on the Mediterranean Sea, thereby opening a new export niche for Latvia in Turkey.
Photo JSC “RIKON” — From left to right: Director of Economics – Alina Deimonta, Council Chairman – Inal Akhba, Minister of Economics of the Republic of Latvia – Viktors Valainis.
These new cranes were tailored to the customer’s needs, incorporating specific technological requirements and operating conditions. They will be transported from the Riga Port to Turkey on a special vessel in a fully assembled state, a unique logistics operation demanding high precision and detailed technical planning.
This crane project is particularly impressive in scale: the structures reach a height of 55 meters (for comparison, the Freedom Monument in Riga is 42 meters tall) and weigh 550 tons. These are the first two of six cranes ordered by the Turkish partners. The subsequent manufactured cranes will be delivered to the Port of Eregli on the Black Sea.
“What we are seeing here today is yet more proof that Latvia is capable! Capable of creating and delivering truly ambitious projects that require expertise, high technical precision, and flawless quality, all while competing with the world’s leading companies. It is gratifying that the Riga Port is home to growing export-oriented companies whose products are competitive, high-value, and in demand worldwide. I wish the company every success in building on this achievement and continuing to develop by conquering new export markets,” emphasized the Minister of Economics, Viktors Valainis.
“Our competitive edge lies in our ability to adapt to each client’s specific needs and to manage the entire process from design to the finished product. Undoubtedly, we are delighted to launch this new export route to Turkey; it is a great endorsement of our team’s collective effort. We have set our strategic direction towards the West and are focused on this goal. Next year, we will execute a project in Germany, with design and production expected to take a year and a half to two years. Our future target markets are France, Belgium, Morocco, and Italy, as these countries have advanced ports and high demand for cranes,” stated Alina Deimonta, Director of Economics of AS RIKON.
All cranes are fully electric, with no hydraulic mechanisms involved. Furthermore, the cranes are not built from standard designs but are custom-developed for each client, factoring in their individual requirements and specifications.
“We are very pleased with the successful cooperation with the RIKON team. These cranes will significantly enhance our port’s operational efficiency, and we are proud to partner with a Latvian company that delivers world-class engineering solutions. RIKON’s professional approach, responsiveness, and ability to implement such a complex project to the highest quality standards give us great confidence for future collaboration,” said Mehmet Türe, representative of the Turkish customers.
The company’s accumulated experience, in-house design bureau, and software development department enable it to manufacture all types of heavy lifting equipment. However, its primary and serial products are Double Jib Level Luffing Cranes and Rail-Mounted Gantry (RMG) Container Cranes.