Container ship Triton crossing the Panama Canal. Source: micanaldepanama.com
A few days ago, the expansion of the Panama Canal turned five years old and this brought us some good news: the increase in the length and draft allowed for container ships passing through the neopanamax locks.
The new established measures are 370.33 meters (1,215 feet) for the length and 15.24 meters (50 feet) for the draft. Thanks to this, 96.8% of the world fleet of container ships can transit through the Panama Canal, which represents an important benefit for the world economy.
Before the announcement of the new measures, the Panama Canal, in 2019, carried out tests of the safety of the operation through ships such as the Evergreen Triton – being the largest to transit through the Panama Canal since the inauguration of the neopanamax locks in 2016-, the Talos, the Theseus and others.
This new increase in capacity for container ships and the short distance offered by the Canal route, provides an advantage due to the fuel savings that this represents for ships, which directly impacts efforts to reduce carbon emissions. All this is a reflection of the reliability and safety of operations in the neopanamax locks of the Panama Canal.
RESOURCE: micanaldepanama.com