Canal Watershed News

Last month, CMA CGM’s Zephyr became the largest containership by cargo capacity to ever transit the Panama Canal.The Neopanamax containership Zephyr has a total capacity of 16,285 TEUs. After calling at the U.S. ports of New York and Savannah, the Zephyr sailed back southbound through the Canal, from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean, in route to Qingdao, China. On July 1, the vessel completed its return trip through the Expanded Canal’s Neopanamax Locks, which opened six years ago to accommodate the world’s growing fleet of large containerships.

The Panama Canal has amended a tender for the engineering, design and construction of an optimized water management system after receiving more than 250 potential bidder inquiries following the opening of the prequalification period in September.The Canal has been grappling with unprecedented drought constrained water levels, and the tender is the first component of a program to manage water resources in an integrated manner to provide an adequate water supply for both Canal operations and local consumption for the next 50 years.

The Panama Canal will implement water management solutions to improve the quantity, quality and control of its water supply, which it says is "a critical priority" as it continues to grapple with constrained water levels.As a result of climate variability, the Panama Canal watershed experienced its fifth driest year in 70 years in 2019. This unprecedented drought constrained water levels severely at Gatun and Alhajuela Lakes, the main sources of water for the Canal and half of Panama's population.

The Panama Canal has launched the Green Connection Award, a new initiative to recognize customers who demonstrate excellent environmental stewardship, and to encourage others to implement technologies and standards to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Panama Canal customers that meet and exceed environmental standards set by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and/or other globally recognized standards will be considered. The Panama Canal will evaluate eligible candidates based on specific environmental factors, such as the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI), Environmental Ship Index (ESI), amount of nitrous oxides they emit due to engine performance…

The Panama Canal will next month impose new draft restrictions on ships due to falling water levels at nearby lakes that form part of the waterway, the authority that administers the canal said in a statement on Monday. Ships seeking to cross the waterway must comply with a maximum depth limit of 39 feet (11.89 meters) beginning on April 18, but the Panama Canal Authority (APC) said the impact on operations would be minimal. The "temporary and preventive measures" are connected to local climate impacts of El Niño…

The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) has lifted scheduled vessel draft restrictions brought on by lingering draught conditions in the region. The ACP had previously set restrictions of 11.89 meters Tropical Fresh Water (TFW) to take effect September 8 due to the effects of an El Niño climate phenomenon triggering a drought in the Canal Watershed, causing water levels of Gatun and Alhajuela Lakes to fall well below average. The Canal was able to suspend restrictions due to rainfall received during the last few days…

The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) has issued an updated Advisory to Shipping to alert all Canal shipping agents, owners and operators that water conditions at this time do not warrant the need to institute a second draft restriction, which was tentatively scheduled for September 15, 2015. Due to recent rainfall the Panama Canal watershed has experienced, the Canal has postponed the need for the second restriction which was announced earlier this month. The first maximum authorized transit draft restriction of 11.89 meters (39.0 feet) Tropical Fresh Water (TFW) will still be effective on September 8, 2015 and continue until further notice.

Draught conditions have led the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) to set draft restrictions for vessels operating in the canal. ACP described the restriction as temporary and preventive measure due to the El Niño climate phenomenon resulting in periodic warming of the tropical Pacific Ocean. When this occurs, El Niño changes the pattern of rainfall in many regions of the planet, in this case triggering a drought in the Canal Watershed, causing water levels of Gatun and Alhajuela Lakes to fall substantially below their average for this time of year.

The Panama Canal Authority closely monitors the water levels of Gatun and Alhajuela lakes on a regular basis due to the importance that these resources have for transit operations. With the onset of the 'El Nino' phenomenon, great efforts have and are being invested in forecasts and estimates of the possible impact this weather phenomenon might have in Panama Canal operations. Additionally, the Panama Canal continues to invest considerable resources and is taking numerous water conservation measures in an effort to reduce the possibility of imposing draft restrictions in the near future as a result of this phenomenon. The term 'El Nino' refers to the large-scale ocean-atmosphere climate phenomenon linked to a periodic warming in sea-surface temperatures across the tropical Pacific.

The water levels at Gatun and Madden Lakes are currently well below the expected levels for this time of year. Based on a comprehensive analysis of historic data, both current and projected water utilization, as well as the estimated rainfall in the Canal watershed for the remainder of the rainy season, the Panama Canal has deemed it necessary to implement water conservation measures in order to reduce the possibility of draft restrictions in the near future. - Mazimization of tandem lockages. These measures are not expected to have a major impact on the Canal's capacity; however, some may have an impact on normal transit operations. These conservation measures are expected to remain in force until the water levels return to normal.

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.

The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) informs it has certified Verified Emission Reductions (VERs) or carbon credits, within the framework of the Sustainable Forest Cover Establishment Project in the Canal Watershed. The VERs are available under the financial service provider MARKIT Registry, the main global platform for management of carbon credits. These credits are based in the agroforestry, silvopastoral and reforestation activities in 2,458 hectares of the Panama Canal Watershed, following the standards established by the Climate, Community & Biodiversity Alliance (CCBA) and The Gold Standard Foundation. During the Gold Standard verification, it was estimated that forestry projects in the Watershed will remove 378,566 tons of CO2 in a period of 30 years.

The Panama Canal is celebrating 13 years under Panamanian administration. During this period, the Canal has strengthened its role in international commerce as a result of investment in the modernization of its infrastructure, its expansion and an alliance with its natural surroundings. “The Panama Canal reaffirms its relevance in international commerce more than ever as a result of the decisions and actions that Panamanians have taken with regard to its management,” said Panama Canal Administrator Jorge Luis Quijano.

ACP has signed a Technical Cooperation Agreement with the National Environmental Authority (ANAM) and the German Agency for International Cooperation to apply mechanisms that will reduce emissions in the Canal Watershed. The agreement aims to establish the terms and conditions for the design and implementation of a pilot program in the Panama Canal Watershed, compensation mechanisms for the sustainable management of forest resources that can be replicated nationwide, under the parameters of Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD +). The REDD+ program focuses on the conservation of carbon reserves and also on the sustainable management of forests.

In a move affirming their commitment to sustainable development and the environment, the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) announced today that Administrator Alberto Alemán Zubieta and Juan Hector Díaz, Director for Environment and Security, attended the World Business Council on Sustainable Development's (WBCSD) annual meeting in Washington, D.C., as council member and delegate respectively. They joined chief executive officers and executives of major corporations and businesses, such as: 3M, British Petroleum, Eastman Kodak, Caterpillar, Ford Motor Company, General Motors and Time Warner, all members of the WBCSD. The ACP joined the WBCSD in August 2002.

The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) announced today two key investments - both part of the Canal's permanent modernization program. The ACP has purchased an advanced new meteorological radar system and will build a new launch vessel, making the Canal safer, faster and more efficient. The launch will be constructed in Panama by the ACP. The ACP's new meteorological radar system, model DWSR-8501S-9, was manufactured by Enterprise Electronics Corporation and is valued at more than a million dollars. The new radar will provide the Canal's Meteorological and Hydrological Section with cost-efficient and state-of-the-art information to make atmospheric predictions. This will help to control Canal water levels, to monitor rain in the Canal Watershed and to plan water spills at the Canal's dams.

The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) released today 11 principles that have guided its operations and the formulation of the Permanent Modernization Plan - the Authority's long-term, strategic business plan, which will be completed next year. Based on the ACP's mission, vision and values, the "Guiding Principles" have been at the center of the organization's goals, objectives, and operations and have served as the ACP's "true north" - a guide for ACP management and employees regarding the priorities and fundamental goals and objectives of the Canal. The Guiding Principles have also led the ACP in undertaking and conducting business and planning for the Canal's future.

will double capacity and allow more traffic. comprehensive analyses and studies by the ACP. a graduated toll system. Dr. Torrijos at a Town Hall meeting in Panama today. Assembly, and the process will culminate with the Panamanian people voting in a national referendum. shipping and maritime industry. expansion of the Panama Canal," said Dr. Vasquez. trade. center of global trade and become a great maritime hub. An expanded Canal will benefit the people of Panama and world trade. trade. facilitate the movement of goods through several important markets. consumers. Canal through the construction of a new set of locks. 60 percent of the water in each transit. Canal's Watershed. sustainable development and environmental management best practices. system of tolls.

The Chairman of the Panama Canal Authority's (ACP) Board of Directors announced recently its recommendation to build a new lane along the Panama Canal that will double capacity and allow more traffic. This is the result of comprehensive analyses and studies by the ACP. The project is estimated to cost $5.25 billion and will be paid entirely by users of the Canal through a graduated toll system. Dr. Ricaurte Vásquez M., Chairman of the ACP's Board of Directors, submitted the recommendation to President Martín Torrijos at a Town Hall meeting in Panama today. The president will discuss the recommendation with his Cabinet, make a recommendation to the National Assembly, and the process will culminate with the Panamanian people voting in a national referendum.

The Panama Canal will be run as a competitive business for the benefit of the Panamanian people after it reverts to national control at year's end, the waterway's administrator said. "The Canal was run before on a break-even concept, like a public utility," Panama Canal Commission (PCC) administrator Alberto Aleman Zubieta told a lunch for members of the American Chamber of Commerce. "But it will be run on the corporate concept of profitability ... for the 2.7 million Panamanians who will be its owners." Panama will become owner and operator of the canal at noon on Dec. 31, when the U.S. hands over the waterway as agreed in a 1977 treaty.

A feasibility study to safeguard Panama Canal water supplies into the 21st century is under way, the waterway's project manager said. "Studies of potential water projects are expected to take about 18 months," Panama Canal Commission's (PCC) Augustin Arias said, adding that actual development would take between and eight and 10 years. At the end of August, Panama's Legislative Assembly passed a law extending the current canal watershed by more than 60 percent to 213 sq. miles (553 sq. km), in anticipation of increased water demands. The canal, which handled 13,137 vessel transits and generated $569 million in tolls in fiscal 1999, relies on a constant supply of fresh water to operate three flights of gravity-fed locks. The newly designated "Western Watershed" covers an 82 sq. mile (213 sq.

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter symbolically placed the Panama Canal into Panamanian hands last Tuesday with the simple words, "it's yours," granting the tiny Central American nation sovereignty over all its territory for the first time since its birth in 1903. "Today we are gathered in the spirit of mutual respect, acknowledging without question the full sovereignty of Panama," Carter told hundreds of Panamanian and foreign dignitaries gathered under a light rain at the Miraflores Locks at the Canal's Pacific entrance. In what Carter and Panama President Mireya Moscoso called a pivotal moment in the history of the hemisphere, the two leaders signed a symbolic accord marking the Canal's passage to Panama. Under the 1977 Panama Canal Treaties brokered by Carter, the U.S.

More than 100 people at the Miraflores Locks as Lloyd's Register Quality Assurance awarded upon the Department of Security and Environment's Environmental Division of the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) the coveted ISO 14001 certification. Juan Héctor Diaz, director of the Department of Security and Environment, accepted the certification at a ceremony at the Miraflores Locks Visitor's Center. Participants included the Academy for Environmental Education Development (AED), the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI), Panama Ministry of Health (MINSA), Panama National Environment Authority (ANAM) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).