Feature, Freight News, Sea

Panama ready for mega-ships

[ June 23, 2021   //   Chris ]

Five years after starting its expansion programme, the Panama Canal has increased the maximum allowable length for vessels transiting its locks to 370.33 meters (1,215 feet), up from 367.28 meters (1,205 feet).
The increase means that now 96.8% of the world’s fleet of containerships can transit the canal.
The move follows a series of trial including the 2019 transit of Evergreen’s 369-meter-long (1,210 feet) Triton, which became the largest vessel in both dimension and container cargo capacity to transit the Canal since the inauguration of the Neopanamax Locks in June 2016. Since then, other ships with the same dimensions and container cargo capacity have also transited the waterway.
The Canal is also offering a draft of 15.24 meters (50 feet) draft, the highest level allowed. Increased rainfall and successful water management at the Gatun Lake have kept the draft at 14.93 meters (49 feet) since April 2021.

Tags: Panama canal