Following the maintenance process of the Gatún locks, which lasted between 7 May and 15 May, transits through the Canal were increased to 31 daily from the 24 in which it was. From 1 June, it will re-enter 32 ship transits daily.
The Panama Canal completed maintenance work on the Gatún locks and increased daily transits to 31 ships since Thursday, May 16.
According to the timetable released in April by the Panama Canal Authority, the Panama Canal Authority is expected to increase the number of daily transits to 32 ships from 1 June this year.
Under normal conditions they traveled along the interoceanic route between 36 and 38 ships per day, but due to the prolonged drought that reduced the water levels of the Alajuela and Gatún lakes, the Canal decided to reduce transits and also the draught of boats that can cross the Neopanamax locks since July 2023.
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The lowest traffic number the Channel has come to have in recent months has been 21 ships per day.
At some point it was announced that it would fall to 18 in February this year, but the measure was reversed by a slight recovery in lakes’ water levels earlier this year and had been left at 24 for maintenance this month.
The ACP also announced that it will increase from 15 June this year, the maximum amount allowed for the Neopanamax locks, i.e. from the expanded Channel. The draught will pass from 44 feet, which is currently 45 feet, allowing the boats to carry more cargo. The more draught, the more load they can pass.
This adjustment guarantees safe navigation, while considering projections of Lake Gatún and other operational requirements, the ACP said at the time.
After a year of restrictions, the Channel has estimated that it will no longer receive between $500 million and $700 million during fiscal year 2024 that runs from October 2023 to September this year.
This article has been translated after first appearing in Prensa