Last January the Panama Canal registered a new record of transits and tonnage of LNG vessels. Namely, atotal of 58 ships that transport LNG transited through the neopanamax locks.
These transits totaled 6.74 million tons CP / UMS (volume unit of the Universal Tonnage System of the Panama Canal), which exceeded the mark of 54 transits from January 2020 and 6.23 million tons from November 2020.
The Panama Canal has implemented recent adjustments in its operations to have greater flexibility in its operations and respond more efficiently to the continuous changes in the demand of maritime transport.
In January, changes were made to the Transit Reservation System so that any space that is available for neopanamax vessels within 96 hours before transit is offered through an auction process.
Since the modifications were implemented, the Panama Canal has held 25 auctions for neopanamax vessels, of which nine have been awarded to LNG vessels as a result of these changes. Last January, the LNG segment registered the transit of three northbound ships on the same day, while on January 31, four LNG ships did so in 24 hours; two heading north and two heading south.
The rebound in transits of ships that transport LNG through the Panama route responds to winter conditions that increased the demand for LNG for electricity generation in Asia, causing supply and demand conditions that triggered the price of liquefied natural gas at record levels.