On June 26, 2016, the expanded Canal accommodated its first transit marking the culmination of the largest project on the interoceanic highway since its opening in 1914. After 10 years of planning, the expanded Canal is considered crucial for the global maritime trade.
After three years and over 6,000 transits of neopanamax ships, the Panama Canal celebrates the milestones of its expansion. Namely, the neopanamax locks and the investment in the operation have led to an increase in the capacity and efficiency of the ships that sail through the interoceanic way.
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These factors were the drivers of many important milestones for the Canal, such as the first L-Flex LNG ship, as well as the Triton container ship, registered as the largest vessel to date.
The expanded Canal has also confirmed the role of the interoceanic highway as the Green Route of the world maritime trade by providing more capacity and lower cargo movements. Therefore, the Neopanamax locks have achieved a reduction of more than 55 million tons of CO2 since their launch.
Along with the panamax locks during the same period, over 75 million tons of CO2 were reduced, equal to the capture generated by more than 150,000 hectares of forests.
The success of the expanded Canal is the result of the hard work, commitment and innovation of the Panama Canal team. This is clear evidence of what Panama is capable of doing, and we hope to continue strengthening our role in the future of world maritime trade
the Panama Canal noted.