Expanded Panama Canal Celebrates First Anniversary
The Panama Canal commemorated the one-year anniversary of the inauguration of its Expanded Canal, one of the most significant milestones in the history of the 102-year old waterway and a defining moment for the people of Panama and the global maritime industry.
In its first year of operations, the Expanded Panama Canal has continually set records and surpassed expectations, resulting in redrawn global trade routes and positive world-wide impact, as the Canal looks to further position Panama as the logistics hub of the Americas.
During the one-year anniversary, the vessels that transited the Expanded Canal received commemorative plaques. The honored vessels included:
Albert III: A liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) vessel, chartered by Petredec Services Limited.
Ever Loading: An 8,500+ TEU capacity Neopanamax containership, owned by Evergreen.
Valparaiso Express: A 13,000+ TEU capacity Neopanamax containership, owned by Hapag Lloyd.
Yuhsho: A LPG vessel, chartered by ENEOS GLOBE Corporation.
CMA CGM Melisande: An 8,700+ TEU capacity Neopanamax containership, owned by CMA CGM.
"These transits are a testament to the global maritime industry's confidence in the Expanded Canal," said Panama Canal Administrator Jorge L. Quijano. "The countless accomplishments set over the past year have surpassed even our own expectations for the project. We would like to thank everyone involved, from our customers to our highly-skilled employees, for their role in making this year such a great success."
Over the past 12 months, the Expanded Canal's performance has exceeded what was originally forecast, as global trade routes have been redrawn and its positive impact has been felt around the world.
"Today's milestone provides us with an opportunity to reflect on the Canal's strong performance to-date and the industry's wide-spread adoption of the waterway," said Mr. Quijano. "Looking forward, the next decade will serve as a significant next chapter in the Panama Canal's story as we continue to advance various infrastructure projects within the region to further position Panama as the logistics hub of the Americas-for the benefit of our customers, and for the people of Panama."
