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Canal Expansion Program News

25 Jan 2024

Panama Canal Appoints Chief Sustainability Officer

Ilya Espino de Marotta (Photo: Panama Canal Authority)

The Panama Canal announced that Deputy Administrator Ilya Espino de Marotta will now also serve as the Canal’s first Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO).As CSO, Espino de Marotta will spearhead the development of a comprehensive sustainability strategy focused on decarbonization, adaptation, and transition. Working with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), part of the World Bank Group, the Canal is already in the process of finalizing an inventory of its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and aims to complete a climate risk assessment by the end of the year.

02 Jan 2020

First Woman Deputy Administrator at Panama Canal

Ilya Espino de Marotta, who played a lead role in the expansions of the Panama Canal  took office  on January 1 as  the  first  woman  deputy administrator of  the waterway.She was chosen by the board of directors of the Panama Canal Authority to replace  Manuel Benítez, who retired on December 31, 2019.Mrs. Espino de Marotta began her career at the Canal in 1985 as the sole female engineer at its shipyard. She now works alongside more than 1,000 women and recently served as the Vice President of Transit Business and the Executive Vice President for Engineering during the Panama Canal Expansion Program.The new deputy administrator took office in the presence of the president of the Board of Directors and Minister for Channel Affairs…

17 Feb 2019

Panama Canal Appoints New Administrator

The Panama Canal Board of Directors announced the appointment of Ricaurte Vasquez as the next Panama Canal Administrator.According to a press note from the artificial 82 km waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean, Vasquez will take office on September 4, 2019, succeeding current Administrator Jorge L. Quijano, who concludes his seven-year term at the helm of the waterway.The decision was made by the Board of Directors in accordance to an independent, transparent and rigorous process mandated by the Panamanian Constitution and Organic Law of the Panama Canal Authority."As part of the Panama Canal Authority's autonomous institutional process…

12 Jun 2016

COSCO's Vessel Departs Greece for Inaugural Transit through Extended Panama

The container vessel COSCO Shipping Panama set sail from the Greek Port of Piraeus today on its way to Panama to make history. The Neopanamax vessel will make the inaugural transit of the Expanded Panama Canal on Sunday, June 26, after a 14-day journey. Panama Canal Administrator Jorge L. Quijano met with COSCO Shipping Panama’s Captain Jude Rodrigues and crew members prior to the ship’s departure. “I am very excited to be here today to witness the sailing of the ship from Greece, but also meet the Captain and his crew,” said Administrator Quijano. “We are very pleased to be here watching it leave from Port of Piraeus. “I had transited the Panama Canal many times before and it has been a great experience…

13 Mar 2016

Financial Institutions Visit Panama Canal

The five international financial institutions partially financing the Panama Canal Expansion Program traveled to Panama earlier this week to see the 96.6 percent progress made thus far. During their three-day visit to the Canal, representatives were guided through the Agua Clara and Cocoli locks, as well as the fourth phase of the Pacific Access Channel (PAC-4). They also toured the Canal’s training centers: the Center for Simulation, Research and Maritime Development (SIDMAR) and the new Scale Model Maneuvering Training Facility, which will train pilots and other waterway personnel to maneuver through the Expanded Canal. In addition, they visited the construction site of the third Panama Canal bridge, which will connect Colon to communities west of the Canal.

05 Feb 2016

Sill Reinforcements Complete in New Panama Canal Locks

The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) announced that sill reinforcements in the new locks have been completed this week, bringing the Panama Canal Expansion closer to inauguration. The filling of the Pacific-facing Cocoli Locks has already begun, and the filling of the Atlantic-facing Agua Clara Locks began today. The Panama Canal is building the expanded Canal for the long haul, which is why quality and testing are critical. Once the locks are filled, the sills will undergo a rigorous testing process to ensure their integrity and proper function. “Every day, we move closer to completion,” said Panama Canal Administrator and CEO, Jorge L. Quijano. Less than four percent remains to complete the Panama Canal Expansion Program, which is expected to be inaugurated in the second quarter of 2016.

07 Dec 2015

Panama Canal Sill Reinforcement to Complete in January

The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) said it has received word from Grupo Unidos por el Canal, S.A. (GUPC), the main contractor for the design and construction of the Third Set of Locks project, that work to reinforce the sills in the new locks will be completed in January 2016. GUPC informed the ACP of the deadline during a meeting Thursday, November 28, to discuss the progress being made on the reinforcements work. As part of its remaining work, GUPC will continue conducting inspections and reinforcements of each individual sill. Afterward, GUPC plans to continue the electromechanical testing on the filling and emptying systems of the new locks. The ACP was also informed by GUPC that they have not yet identified a date for the completion of the new locks project.

23 Jun 2015

Panama Canal Expansion Nears Completion

Today, the Panama Canal has taken yet another step forward toward the completion of the Canal Expansion Program as it begins to fill the Cocoli’s locks, on the Pacific side, following a similar and successful endeavor on the Atlantic side earlier this month. This important step marks the start of a deliberate and methodical phase of compliance and operational testing for the project. “Earlier this month, we reached one of the most important milestones of the program through the filling work of the Atlantic locks; now moving on to the Pacific side, we take great pride in the work done so far and are eager to bring the full program to completion”, said Panama Canal Administrator/CEO Jorge L. Quijano.

29 Apr 2015

Panama Council Approves New Canal Tolls

Image: Panama Canal Authority

The Cabinet Council of the Republic of Panama has officially approved a proposal to modify the Canal tolls structure, following a recommendation from the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) Board of Directors. The accepted proposal—which modifies the pricing structure for most Canal segments—will better facilitate the Canal’s goal of providing outstanding service and reliability to the global shipping and maritime community while allowing the ACP to safeguard the competitiveness of the waterway.

08 Apr 2015

Eaton Wins Panama Canal Contract

Power management company Eaton has been awarded an additional $5.2-million contract to provide critical installation services for the Panama Canal Expansion Program. Eaton’s contract was awarded by Grupo Unidos por el Canal, SA (GUPC), the contractor responsible for the design and construction of the third set of locks of the expansion program under contract to the Panama Canal Authority. The expansion project is expected to be completed by the end of 2015 and operational in early 2016. Eaton has a decades-long history as a provider of power distribution products and solutions to the Panama Canal, including support for electrical system design and construction in 2011.

19 Jan 2015

First Gate Installed in Panama Canal’s New Pacific Locks

Photo courtesy of ACP

The first gate for the Panama Canal’s new locks in the Pacific side was installed earlier today after being carried to its final destination on self-propelled motorized wheel transporters (SPMTs) with more than 400 wheels each, the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) reported. The installation marks another milestone for the canal’s expansion program, which is now 85 percent complete overall. “Today’s installation marks an important step towards the completion of the Expansion Program,” said Panama Canal Administrator/CEO Jorge L. Quijano.

12 Jan 2015

Panama Canal Inks Deal with Lake Charles Port

The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) signed a cooperation agreement with the Port of Lake Charles in Louisiana earlier this week, which aims to attract new customers from the liquefied natural gas (LNG) industry; a strategy that builds upon the advantages that the expanded Canal will offer. Currently, LNG vessels cannot transit through the waterway due to their beam dimensions, which are too wide to fit the existing locks. The agreement will promote cooperation in marketing activities, information exchange, market research, training and technology, among other initiatives that will benefit both the Canal and the Port of Lake Charles. The Port of Lake Charles is a deep water port with entry into the Gulf of Mexico…

08 Jan 2015

ACP Signs Pact with Lake Charles Port

The signing of the ACP / Port of Lake Charles cooperation agreement(image: courtesy ACP)

Agreement meant to capitalize Canal expansion while attracting new LNG customers. The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) signed a cooperation agreement with the Port of Lake Charles in Louisiana earlier this week, which aims to attract new customers from the liquefied natural gas (LNG) industry; a strategy that builds upon the advantages that the expanded Canal will offer. Currently, LNG vessels cannot transit through the waterway due to their beam dimensions, which are too wide to fit the existing locks.

24 Dec 2014

Atlantic Rolling Gate Installed at Panama Canal

Photo: Panama Canal Authority

The Panama Canal Expansion Program’s electro-mechanical installation phase has begun with the installation of the first steel rolling gate at the Atlantic side. "This year, the Expansion Program completed several milestones towards the completion of the project," said Panama Canal Administrator Jorge L. Quijano. "I am proud of the progress we have made on this project and the uninterrupted service we have provided to global shipping for 100 years. With the arrival of the last…

23 Dec 2014

Rolling Gates Installation at Panama Canal

In another major milestone for the Panama Canal Expansion Program, the electromechanical installation phase, one of the most important of the project, has begun with the installation of the first steel rolling gate at the Atlantic side. “This year, the Expansion Program completed several milestones towards the completion of the project,” said Panama Canal Administrator Jorge L. Quijano. “I am proud of the progress we have made on this project and the uninterrupted service we have provided to global shipping for 100 years. With the arrival of the last four of the 16 rolling gates for the new locks in November and the transfer of the eight gates for the Pacific-side locks through the waterway, all electro-mechanical components are ready to be installed.

15 Dec 2014

Gate Installation Begins at Panama Canal Expansion

Photo: ACP

The installation of the gates for the new locks of the Panama Canal began today on the Atlantic side of the waterway, the Panama Canal Authority  (ACP) reported. “This is a very important milestone for the Expansion Program,” said Panama Canal Administrator Jorge L. Quijano. The gate will be located in lock head two in the new locks on the Atlantic side. The installation of the gate began early in the morning and is expected to be completed in the next couple of days. The steel gates are moved using self-propelled motorized wheel transporters (SPMTs) with more than 400 wheels each.

21 Jul 2014

Panama Canal: New Lock Gates Transferred to Atlantic Side

ACP informs that the Panama Canal Expansion has reached another important milestone with the transfer of the first gates to the new locks complex in the Atlantic side. "This is a very important operation because it involved the first movement of the gates from the special dock where they were unloaded to the lower chamber of the new locks," said Panama Canal Authority (ACP) Administrator Jorge L. Quijano. The Administrator explained that the process was carried out following rigorous safety measures to ensure that the more than 3,000-ton steel structures could be moved to the dry lock chambers using the pavement ramp built for this purpose. Eight of the 16 rolling gates that will be used for the new locks are already in Panama.

25 Jun 2014

Panama Canal Expansion Moving Forward

Photo courtesy of the ACP

After the arrival of the second set of rolling gates, the Panama Canal Expansion keeps moving forward reaching a new milestone at the Pacific side with the pouring of more than two million cubic meters of concrete, the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) reported. "This is another milestone that shows the progress of various components of the Canal Expansion Project," said the Administrator of the ACP, Jorge Luis Quijano. The pouring mark of more than 2 million meters of concrete was reached this month in one of the monoliths that is on the west wall of the middle lock chamber.

15 Jun 2014

2nd Shipment Of Gates Arrive At Panama Canal

In another step forward for the Panama Canal Expansion Program, the second shipment of four rolling gates for the Third Set of Locks arrived today from port of Trieste, Italy to the waterway's Atlantic side on board the semi-submersible heavy lift vessel Sun Rise. "This is another milestone as it completes half of the 16 gates that will be used in the new locks", said the administrator of the Panama Canal Authority, Jorge Luis Quijano. Following a nearly one-month long journey, the ship completed its second trip that began in mid-May in the Port of Trieste, crossing the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Differing from the first shipment, these gates have two different dimensions, according to their final position in the lock chambers.

11 Jun 2014

Panama Canal Expansion: More Lock Gates Arrive

The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) informs that the second shipment of four rolling gates for the Third Set of Locks to the waterway's Atlantic side has arrived from the Port of Trieste, Italy, on board the semi-submersible vessel 'STX Sun Rise'. “This is another milestone as it completes half of the 16 gates that will be used in the new locks”, said the administrator of the Panama Canal Authority, Jorge Luis Quijano. Differing from the first shipment, these gates have two different dimensions, according to their final position in the lock chambers. The taller ones or “Type C” were fabricated for lock head number 3 in the middle chamber of the Pacific locks.

07 Feb 2014

Multilateral Institutions Visit Panama Canal Expansion

Representatives from the multilateral institutions financing the Panama Canal Expansion Program visited today the new locks project construction in the Pacific side as part of their regularly scheduled visits. Experts from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the European Investment Bank (EIB), Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), International Financing Corporation (IFC) and the Andean Development Corporation (CAF) participated in meetings for two days and visited the Expansion Program construction site. ACP executives made a comprehensive presentation of the current status of the project, including details of the work stoppage by Grupo Unidos por el Canal, S.A. (GUPC), the new locks project contractor.

06 Jan 2014

ACP: Contractor’s Intent to Suspend Work Lacks Merit

File Photo: Construction underway on Panama Canal.

After analyzing the letter received on December 30, 2013 by the new locks contractor Grupo Unidos por el Canal, S.A. (GUPC), which was made public on January 1 by GUPC, the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) determined that it is not valid and that the arguments raised by the contractor in the note lack legal basis and are not clear. Therefore, it does not give any reasons for the contractor to suspend the work. In a letter, the ACP reminded the contractor that on December 13, 2013…

30 Dec 2013

Panama Canal Commemorates 14 Years Under Panamanian Administration

Panama Canal Administrator Jorge L. Quijano

On the countdown to its centennial in 2014, the Panama Canal celebrates 14 years under Panamanian administration, characterized by its enhanced service to world maritime trade. "The Panama Canal has strengthened its role in international trade, while contributing to the country’s development,” said Panama Canal Administrator Jorge L. Quijano. The Panamanian management model has enabled the efficient and safe operation of the Canal, allowing it to offer a world-class service. Under Panamanian administration…