Panama Canal News

Two years after the inauguration of the Expanded Panama Canal, Standard & Poor's (S&P) Global Ratings revised its outlook on the Panama Canal from ‘stable’ to ‘positive’ – demonstrating the global impact of the historic waterway. The rating agency also affirmed its 'A-' rating for the Panama Canal, ranking the ACP two notches above that of the sovereign foreign currency rating. The Panama Canal's outlook indicates the rating agency's expectation that it will generate relatively stable annual earnings before interest…

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…

The Mississippi River Ship Channel could be the first port complex on the Gulf Coast to reach a depth of 50 feet now that the Director’s Report has been signed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Elected officials and industry leaders have long worked to increase the channel’s depth to 50 feet, which is the same depth of the expanded Panama Canal.In signing the Report, Corps of Engineers Director of Civil Works James C. Dalton stated the project is “economically justified and…

Robert “Bob” Shrewsbury, founder of Seattle-based tug and barge services provider Western Towboat, has passed away at the age of 94.Shrewsbury started Western Towboat along Ballard’s waterfront in 1948, operating with just one small tug the, ND Tobey, and working in the early days as business agent, captain and engineer.Today, the family owned company is run by Shrewsbury’s son, Bob Jr., with grandchildren Russell, Ross and Kristin, and has grown its fleet to 22 tugs and seven barges.

Finland’s ESL Shipping, an Aspo Group company, has taken delivery of liquefied natural gas (LNG)-fueled bulker Viikki from the Jinling shipyard in Nanjing, China.Viikki's sister ship Haaga was delivered on August 20. The 160-meter, LNG-fueled vessel of 25,600 dwt emits over 50 percent less carbon dioxide than the previous generation of vessels.Like its sister ship Haaga, Viikki will first head from the shipyard to Japan, from where it will arrive fully laden at the Baltic Sea approximately at the end of October.

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.

The Panama Canal will boost liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker traffic along the waterway from October in a boon to U.S. East Coast LNG producers chasing profits from sales to Asia.As demand for LNG transit grows, the Panama Canal will grant night passage, and scrap its single-file rule to enable passage in opposing directions at the waterway's north end."By lifting these restrictions on October 1, the Canal will unleash even more capacity for LNG," Silvia de Marucci, Executive Manager…

Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation (Great Lakes), provider of both dredging services in the United States and environmental and infrastructure services, announced the receipt of a several dredging awards totaling $164 million. the Delaware River Deepening Variation Order (Capital, Delaware, $14.3 million). The scope of work for the four coastal protection projects includes sustenance of beachfronts with sand excavated from off-shore borrow which is then used to rebuild dunes and restore the shorelines eroded by winter storms.

Extensions, type approvals and next steps were all prominent on the agenda.September’s Ballast Water Management and Technology North America conference saw USCG staff from the Office of Operating and Environmental Standards and the Marine Safety Center giving conference attendees an update on various aspects of the Coast Guard’s ballast water program. Following is a recap of those presentations for our readers who were unable to attend:Ms. Regina Bergner and Mr. Matthew Reudelhuber with the Office of Operating and Environmental Standards, and Lt.

BP Shipping has taken delivery of British Partner, the first of a half dozen new 173,400 cubic meter capacity liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers to be delivered through 2018 and 2019 from the DSME shipyard in South Korea.BP Shipping, which launched a fleet rejuvenation program in 2016 that includes 32 new vessels for delivery over a three-year period, says the six new Partnership class ships will increase its ability to transport LNG in emerging new markets, such as Pakistan, Jordan, Egypt and Bangladesh, in addition to established markets, such as India, China, the U.S.

The price of shipping liquefied natural gas (LNG) has spiked in September and is likely to remain high next year, buoyed by rising production from new plants and concerns that demand for LNG vessels will outpace supply.The rate for vessels shipping LNG from the Atlantic Basin to Asia has jumped to $90,000 to $95,000 a day this week from $75,000 a day at the end of August, brokers and traders said.Rates, which broadly hovered around $30,000 to $40,000 a day from 2015 to 2017, have risen due to longer distances covered to transport LNG from new terminals in the United States and Arctic Russia…

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 House of Representatives passed the Ballast Water Management Bill, which is aimed at protecting Jamaica’s marine environment, said Jamaica Information Service, a government agency. The legislation seeks to implement measures to prevent ships entering Jamaica’s waters from introducing foreign aquatic species and diseases into the country. The Minister of Transport and Mining, Robert Montague, said the Bill is in keeping with commitments under the Ballast Water Management Convention, of which Jamaica is a signatory.

Innovative waterway concept vessel could deliver transportation savings for shippers on the Mississippi River. Plans to transport freight via innovative waterway vessels that backers say will revolutionize the inland waterway system and provide significant transportation cost savings for shippers, especially those accessing the Midwest by utilizing the Mississippi River and its tributaries, are underway, according to Sal Litrico, CEO for American Patriot Container Transport, a…

The U.S. Coast Guard’s Navigation Center (NAVCEN) is involved in a number of activities that have an impact on all Americans, even if they don’t realize it.From motorists checking directions with their Global Positioning System (GPS) to boaters to ships coming and going to U.S. ports, the NAVCEN plays an unseen but vital role.With a staff of19 officers, 17 enlisted personnel and 19 civilians, NAVCEN falls under the Director of Marine Transportation Systems (CG-5PW) at USCG Headquarters…

Norwegian Cruise Line’s first ship custom-designed specifically for the Chinese cruise market will be repositioned to sail from the United States starting in 2019.The nearly 4,000 passenger cruise ship Norwegian Joy is slated to sail seasonally from Seattle to Alaska in summer 2019 before making voyages to the Mexican Riviera and Panama Canal from Los Angeles in winter 2019/2020.Built by German shipbuilder Meyer Werft in 2017, the 1,094-foot-long, 167,725 gt Norwegian Joy was designed with finishes and amenities tailored specifically to the tastes of Chinese guests.

The Panama Canal will implement, from October 1, changes in the transit reservation system for the new neopanamax locks, which includes a restructuring of payment fees for the natural gas segment liquefied (LNG), in order to optimize the use of the interoceanic route.A press release from Panama Canal Administration (ACP) said that the modifications "are a positive step for the neopanamax locks", and take into account the lifting of certain rules of navigation to LNG ships, as well as the comments of customers.In order to maximize the benefits of these new navigation rules…

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.

My Friend the Sea is a story about growing up at sea, set against the background of ships and the beauty of the oceans. It's a tale of ambition, adversity and dealing with prejudice. Packed full of adventures and stories of traveling the world on ships, visiting far off lands, and meeting all manner of people, including eccentric distant relatives in Australia, a drunken captain, another who was a tyrant, and natives in Fiji, plus shipboard romances, a mutiny, and a growing need for the author to change the way he lives.I am a doctor…

A product tanker operated by the NYK Group rescued 28 fishermen from life rafts on last week off the coast of Colombia.The Challenge Pollux was sailing from the Panama Canal to Houston on September 14 when it received a call from a U.S.-based Maritime Rescue Coordination Center (MRCC) requesting assistance with the rescue of 28 crew members who had evacuated from a sinking fishing boat.The rescued seafarers were given water, food, clothing and first-aid on board the Challenge Pollux before being transferred to a Colombian Coast Guard vessel.Challenge PolluxCaptain: Birender SinghFlag: Singapor

HullWiper is meeting growing demand for affordable and eco-friendly hull cleaning in the Panama Canal in partnership with the provider of subsea services Talleres Industriales, said a statement from the marine fouling remover company.It is the latest agreement signed under HullWiper’s global leasing programme introduced in 2017, which works with partners around the world to offer ship owners and operators a cost-efficient, brush- and diver-free alternative to traditional hull…

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.

U.S. salvage industry update: Coast Guard recognition and continuous improvement for the domestic salvage industry and its working professionals.Professional salvors are called in when the ship’s crew is overwhelmed – the last resort to protect lives, minimize environmental impacts and save the ship and cargo. These salvage masters, divers, firefighters, naval architects, heavy lift operators and other salvage team members regularly go into harm’s way and consistently perform incredible feats. They commit their lives and livelihoods to this work.