Tag: Neopanamax vessels

The Panama Canal Authority announced on Friday, May 3, its sixth reduction in draft for 2019, to a maximum 43 feet for the Neopanamax locks on Gatun Lake, in light of the continuous decrease of the water levels. The reduction will come into effect from May 28. The Canal always informs customers for adjustments at least four weeks in advance, to allow time for proper planning.

Starting from 30 April 2019, the Maximum Authorized Draft for vessels transiting the Neopanamax locks will be 13.41 meters (44.0 feet) TFW, the Panama Canal Authority announced. The Draft was estimated based on the present and projected levels of Gatun Lake for the following weeks. 

The expanded Panama Canal met on March 22, 1.000 days of operation, exceeding expectations and redefining global trade routes. From the first days of its operations in 2016, the waterway saw an increase in cargo tonnage, as a result of the transfer of new segments and new line services.

As of 11 February 2019, the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) will restrict the maximum draft for ships transiting the Neopanamax locks to 14.94 meters (49 feet), due to particularly little amount of rain which caused record-low water levels. 

The Panama Canal achieved a new record on December 10, as the 5,000th neopanamax ship transited the canal. Namely, ‘COSCO Faith’, a 366 meters long container ship, transited the canal in a southerly direction from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean.

The Panama Canal announced changes to the Transit Reservation System for neopanamax vessels, from 1st October 2018. Among the main issues addressed were the need to increase the number of LNG vessels per day, and adjustment of the booking periods based on the needs of the LNG industry.

The Panama Canal registered the transit of its 4,000th Neopanamax vessel through the Expanded Canal. The LNG tanker 'Maria Energy' completed the transit on 29 July, traveling southbound from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean, underscoring the steady growth of the LNG segment.

On 26 June, the Panama Canal marked the two-year anniversary of the inauguration of its Expansion, the largest enhancement project in the waterway's 103-year history. To date, the Canal has transited 3,745 Neopanamax vessels, traffic that confirms the maritime industry's confidence in the Expanded Canal.

The recent rainfall in the Canal watershed has increased the levels of Gatun and Alhajuela Lakes considerably in the past few days. As such, effective from 13 June, the maximum authorized draft for vessels transiting the Neopanamax locks is 14.94 meters (49.0 feet) TFW, the Panama Canal Authority informed. 

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 after enabling the transit of 1,231 vessels in May 2018. The previous record was set in January 2017, when 1,260 vessels transited 36.1 million tons through the waterway.