Expanded Canal 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 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.

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…

The Panama Canal is a strategic crossroads for maritime traffic, and is arguably one of the most important maritime developments in the past century. Here we take a deeper dive into the history behind that famous strip of waterway.The present canal, which saw its first vessel transits in 1914, along with possible alternatives through Nicaragua and Mexico, had actually been on the minds of merchants, explorers and military/political strategists since the Age of Exploration in early 1500’s.

The Panama Canal and the Port of Rotterdam signed a Memorandum Understanding (MOU) to promote international trade between Europe and the West Coast of South America.Through this agreement, the two organizations will work closely to optimize operations while encouraging economic growth and the exchange of information on new business development opportunities, including logistics parks and port development projects."The Expanded Canal continues to reshape global trade routes today, reinforcing our position as the logistics hub of the Americas," said Vice President for Complementary Businesses Rafael Pirro. "We are proud to be partnering with the Port of Rotterdam to ensure our customers experience the most efficient…

Dr. Ricaurte Vásquez Morales was sworn-in during a ceremony held at the Panama Canal Administration Building in Panama City, becoming the fourth Panamanian Administrator of the waterway shortly before it celebrates its 20th year under Panamanian administration on December 31, 2019.Administrator Vásquez an economist with more than 30 years’ experience in the public and private sector said: "Just a few months short of the 20th anniversary of the transfer of the Canal to the Panamanian people, we face a distinctly different reality today. Trade now travels along different routes.""This new global reality, in which the Canal operates, requires us to redefine and adapt our business.

The Panama Canal Authority announced enhancements to its industry-leading Green Connection Environmental Recognition Program.The award-winning initiative encourages the shipping industry to mitigate the environmental impact of their operations through an incentive-based system that includes the Green Connection Award, the Environmental Premium Ranking and the Emissions Calculator.The announcement took place on the heels of the IMO's Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC74) in London, where the Panama Canal participated."With these improvements to our environmental and conservation initiatives, the Panama Canal solidifies its leadership in the adoption of carbon-reduction best practices," said Rodriguez.

Today, the Panama Canal completed a trial transit of Evergreen’s Triton, the largest vessel in dimension and container cargo capacity to pass through the Expanded Canal since it opened in June 2016.The Neopanamax containership Triton, which has a Total TEU Allowance (TTA) of 15,313, a 20-row beam of 51.2 meters and a length of 369 meters, transited northbound from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean.Similar to the milestone Q-Flex transit completed on May 12, today’s achievement was made possible by an increase to the maximum allowable beam for vessels transiting the Neopanamax Locks.

The Panama Canal completed a trial transit of Evergreen’s Triton, the largest vessel in dimension and container cargo capacity to pass through the Expanded Canal since it opened in June 2016.The Neopanamax containership Triton, which has a Total TEU Allowance (TTA) of 15,313, a 20-row beam of 51.2 meters and a length of 369 meters, transited northbound from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean.“We are excited about the opportunities enabled by the Triton’s trial transit,” said Panama Canal Administrator Jorge L. Quijano.“Our team continues to offer the additional capacity, and deliver on our promise to provide unparalleled safe and efficient service to our customers.

The Panama Canal welcomed its 6,000th Neopanamax vessel through the Expanded Canal, underscoring the route’s ability to accommodate the highly-dynamic liquefied natural gas (LNG) segment, which first transited the waterway following the inauguration of the Expanded Canal less than three years ago.The LNG vessel Energy Liberty completed the milestone transit today travelling southbound from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. Constructed in 2018, the vessel has a cargo capacity of 165…

Moody’s Investors Service upgraded the 20-year $450 million Senior Unsecured Bonds issued by the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) to A1 from A2, with a stable outlook, based on the waterway's strong performance since the expansion's inauguration.Moody's noted that the Expanded Canal has increased overall tonnage and attracted new market segments, contributing to the waterway's strong performance. According to Moody's, "stronger cash flow generation coupled with a relatively low leverage…

The Panama Canal closed its 2018 fiscal year with a record tonnage of 442.1 million Panama Canal tons (PC/UMS), which represents a 9.5 percent increase from the previous year, the Panama Canal Authority reports.With this tonnage, the Panama Canal surpasses the cargo projections of 429.4 million PC/UMS tons for FY 2018, as well as the 403.8 million PC/UMS tons registered in FY 2017."The Panama Canal continues to exceed our expectations, reinforcing every day the importance of the waterway's expansion and its impact on global maritime trade," said Panama Canal Administrator Jorge L. Quijano.

The Panama Canal announced that it expects to receive approximately 234 cruise ships through the Panamax and Neopanamax Locks during the upcoming 2018-2019 cruise season.The first transit was on Oct. 5 with the Seven Seas Mariner, on a northbound transit travelling from the U.S. West Coast to the U.S. East Coast."As the second full cruise season with the Expanded Canal, we aim to build off our recent milestones and success," said Panama Canal's Senior International Trade Specialist Albano G. Aguilar. "In the next year, we look forward to welcoming more than 237,000 passengers through the Panama Canal."Ten new cruise ships will transit either the Canal's Panamax or Neopanamax Locks for the first time this season…

The transit of four liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers through the Panama Canal’s Neopanamax Locks in a single day marks a new milestone for the canal and reinforces its capacity to handle growing demand from the U.S., where several new LNG export terminals are scheduled to begin operating.On Monday, the vessels Ribera del Duero Knutsen with a cargo capacity of 173,000 m3 and Maran Gas Pericles with cargo capacity of 174,000 m3 transited northbound, while Torben Spirit with a cargo capacity of 174…

The Panama Canal registered the transit of its 4,000th Neopanamax vessel through the Expanded Canal, underscoring the steady growth of the burgeoning liquefied natural gas (LNG) segment – which began transiting the waterway for the first time following the inauguration of the Expanded Canal.The LNG tanker Maria Energy completed the milestone transit traveling southbound from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean on July 29."The steady increase in Neopanamax transits reflect our customers’ confidence in the Expanded Canal…

In the two years since its inauguration, the Expanded Panama Canal continues to offer record growth across segments and rising trade opportunities around the world. The Panama Canal marked the two-year anniversary of the inauguration of its Canal Expansion, the largest enhancement project in the waterway's 103-year history, on June 26. To date, the Canal has transited 3,745 Neopanamax vessels, traffic that confirms the route's efficiency and the maritime industry's confidence in the Expanded Canal. "Two years ago, we pledged to usher in a new era for world commerce," said Panama Canal Administrator Jorge L. Quijano. The performance of the Expanded Canal's Neopanamax Locks continues to exceed expectations.

Yesterday, for the third time since the inauguration of the Expanded Canal, the Panama Canal set a new monthly tonnage record of 38.1 million tons (PC/UMS) after facilitating the transit of 1,231 vessels in May 2018.The previous record was established in January 2017, when 1,260 vessels transited 36.1 million tons (PC/UMS) through the waterway, just a month after setting the record with 35.4 million tons (PC/UMS) transited by 1,166 vessels in December 2016.The containership segment contributed highest tonnage (36 percent)…

The Panama Canal announced that it has added an additional reservation slot to its Neopanamax locks, effective from Monday (May 07), bringing the total available booking slots to eight daily. The decision to offer additional capacity to shippers was made as a part of the Canal's routine careful planning and analysis to meet the increased demand at the interoceanic route, inaugurated nearly two years ago. Since then, the global maritime community has increasingly taken advantage of the time and cost savings afforded by the Expanded Canal. The Panama Canal has seen steady adoption of the route, recording year on year growth, both in terms of the number of vessels it has welcomed and volume of cargo transited.

The Panama Canal welcomed the inaugural transit of the LNG Sakura as it carried the first-ever liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipment from the Dominion Cove Point terminal in the United States to Japan. The transit, which occurred this past weekend, marks the beginning of a new LNG commercial route between the United States and Asia from the recently inaugurated Dominion Cove Point terminal in Maryland, the second U.S. LNG export terminal to come online after Sabine Pass began operations in 2016. Dominion Cove Point has two main clients: ST Cove Point, a consortium consisting of Sumitomo Corporation and Tokyo Gas; and Gail Global LNG, a subsidiary of GAIL LTD of India.

Yesterday, the Panama Canal welcomed its 2,000th Neopanamax vessel through the waterway, demonstrating the route’s continued impact on maritime trade and the industry’s confidence in the safe, reliable and efficient service the Canal provides. The COSCO Yantian containership completed the milestone transit through the Expanded Canal traveling northbound from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean. The vessel measures 351 meters in length and 43 meters in beam, with a total TEU allowance (TTA) of 9,504.

The Panama Canal announced that it expects to receive approximately 235 cruise ships through the Panamax and Neopanamax Locks during the upcoming 2017-2018 cruise season. Beginning in October, this will be the first full cruise season to welcome vessels through the Expanded Canal. “In addition to the existing locks, cruise lines now have the option to include the Expanded Canal as part of their itineraries,” said the Panama Canal’s international trade specialist Albano Aguilar. In April 2017, Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Wonder became the first cruise ship to ever transit the Expanded Canal.

Following the close of its 2017 fiscal year (FY17), the Panama Canal announced that the waterway welcomed a record 403.8 million Panama Canal tons (PC/UMS) of cargo in FY17, the largest amount of annual tonnage ever transited in its 103-year history. The 22.2 percent increase from the previous year can be directly attributed to the added capacity provided by the Expanded Canal. According to figures, the Panama Canal transited a total of 13,548 vessels during its FY17, representing a 3.3 percent increase compared to totals the year before.

Representatives from the Panama Canal, led by Administrator Jorge L. Quijano, hosted executives from U.S. LNG exporter Cheniere Energy, Inc. to discuss the waterway’s growing LNG vessel segment and opportunities for future growth. With LNG emerging as its newest and fastest-growing segment, the Panama Canal has worked closely with shippers as part of an ongoing commitment toward strengthening overall communication and improving service and reliability for customers. “Our visit allowed a greater understanding of the complexities around the Panama Canal operations. We are very appreciative of the collaboration with the Panama Canal to facilitate our 62 transits in 2017…