Expanded Panama Canal usage creates new records

THE NUMBER of ships using the expanded Panama Canal locks daily  during the first year of operation was more than double forecasts and the canal  set new records.

Over the year, 1,535 neopanamax ships used the new locks.

About half the vessels were container ships, followed by liquefied petroleum gas tankers (LPG’s), which accounted for 31.5 percent of the transits.

The expanded Canal set records and exceeded expectations, redefining global trade routes with a positive impact on the

maritime industry, according to the Panama Canal Authority (ACP).

The entry into operation of the new locks brought changes in the operations of the Canal. Only tugboats are used to position the vessels in the chambers, instead of the locomotives used in the original locks.

In the  first  expansion year, an average of 5.9 neopanamax ships transited each day, surpassing

the original forecasts of two or three daily transits With the expansion, more than 90 percent of the world’s  Liquified Natural Gas (LNG} fleet can now traverse the Canal for the first time in history, opening a new market and allowing gas producers in the United States to ship the product to Asia at competitive prices.

Since its inauguration, 15 neopanamax line services have been redirected to the Panama Canal to

take advantage of the advantages offered by the expansion.