Containership “Ever Max”, the highest-capacity containership tries to navigate the Panama Canal, despite the water shortage crisis.
The Canal authority, has begun to limit the number of daily transits through both the new and original locks. In particular, the canal maintaining a draft of 44 feet during the coming months, as long as weather conditions do not vary significantly from our current projections. This is down from a peak of 50 feet at the beginning of the year.
Panama Canal is an engineering wonder allowing ships to travel between two oceans, is seeking to adapt to climate change after a biting drought has seen traffic and income dry up.
With the largest boxship to transit the canal Ever Max having to unload part to use the waterway last week, and limits on vessel numbers, the Panama Canal could see a $200 million dip in earnings in 2024.
As explained, the first neo-panamax containership has been forced to unload cargo to transit the Panama Canal as the authorities battle an intense water shortage.
According to the authority, the locks would handle vessels with a capacity of 12,600 TEU. They set a record at 16,285 TEU in 2022 and this week Ever Max became the largest capacity containership to transit the Neopanamax locks. The vessel has a nominal capacity of 17,312 TEU, although transited at only three-quarters of capacity.
Maintaining water levels is critical not only for the operational capacity of the canal but also for the availability of fresh water for the consumption of the population.
