According to Reuters, the Panama Canal Authority chief stated that the Canal could double the number of containers that move through it in coming years.
As Reuters reports, the Panama Canal Authority could double in coming years the number of containers that move through the commercial waterway that links the Pacific and the Atlantic oceans, the canal’s chief told a maritime conference on 8 November.
The authority, which has an $8 billion investment plan, is putting in place a water conservation strategy following a severe drought that forced ships between late 2023 and early 2024 to take alternative routes between the United States and Asia.
Moreover, as part of that, it is encouraging shippers to consolidate cargoes so less water is used for vessels to pass, particularly container ships, canal chief Ricaurte Vasquez said at the Houston International Maritime Conference according to Reuters.
He continued by commenting that the canal is also planning to use its west bank lands to expand Panama’s cargo transfer capacity, which allows shippers to offload containers, move them via rail, truck or vessel, and then reload them onto ships, Reuters states.
