Panama Canal Expanded Registers 3 Thousand Transits of Neopanamax

 Panama Canal Expanded Registers 

3 Thousand Transits of Neopanamax

After 20 months of the expansion of the Panama Canal, this March 2, 2018, the waterway recorded the transit number 3,000 of Neopanamax ships.

After the expansion of the Canal, not only the increase in the transit of ships has been important. The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) has reported that cargo movement has been key in the post-expansion period.

Last fiscal year, the Panamanian Canal recorded a record annual tonnage with 403.8 million tons of CP / SUAB (volume measurement of the Universal System of Ship Arcing of the Panama Canal). With this figure, the Panama Canal surpasses the 399 million tons CP / SUAB projected for fiscal year 2017.

"Today we overcome a new challenge based on the talent of the human team of the Panama Canal, which is committed to improving every day the service we offer our customers and generating greater benefits for our country," Jorge Luis Quijano, administrator of the Panama Canal

The transit 3 thousand of the neopanamax.

 The MSC Caterina is the name of the ship that marked the milestone of the 3,000 transits through the new locks, the ACP informed.

In addition to standing out for its dimension of 300 meters long and 48 meters wide, the MSC Caterina has the capacity to transport 9 thousand containers. According to the records of the ACP, this is the fourteenth time that the MSC Caterina transits via the extended route.

The first was in November 2016. Container ships, with more transits Of the Neopanamax vessels that have transited the Canal expanded since June 26, 2016 (when the third set of locks was inaugurated), 53% corresponds to container ships. In second place in transits include ships that transport liquefied petroleum gas (28%) and, third, those that carry liquefied natural gas or LNG (10%).

The latter, by the way, stands out as a new market for the Panamanian interoceanic highway, and more than 280 LNG vessels have already passed through. According to the ACP projections, by September 2018, if United States exports grow, the transits of liquefied natural gas vessels could increase by 50% in the Canal.

By La Estrella de Panama

Other key transits of the expanded Canal

Among the milestones that the Panama Canal has registered, after its expansion, the following stand out:

 🔹 On March 19, 2017: a thousand transits were reached (with the ship MSC Anzu)

🔹On September 26: the two thousand transits were recorded (with the COSCO Yanitian). The traffic figures reflect the economic impact of the interoceanic route with global maritime trade.

🔹October 26, 2017: The Caribbean Princess became the first Neopanamax cruise of the 2017-2018 fiscal year to make a transit through the expanded Canal.