The Panama Canal Authority will continue to gradually reorganise daily transits and add a foot to the maximum water withdrawal, following months of increased restrictions due to the drop in the water level in its reservoir
The decision follows an analysis of water levels, efforts to save water and increase storage, and a slight increase in rainfall levels in April ahead of the traditional rainy season.
The increase in transits is particularly good news for bulk carriers, car carriers and gas carriers, as well as smaller container ships, as increases in transits are planned for the original Panamax locks. Following a one-week maintenance period in May that will restrict transits, the number of daily transits will be increased primarily for Panamax vessels over 91 feet in the “Supers” category. Five slots will be returned for a total of 18 daily transits for Supers, for a total of 31 daily transits.
These moves come ahead of Panama’s rainy season, which traditionally runs from May to December. Last year, the Panama Canal Authority reported a significant drop in rainfall and the driest October since 1950. The authority had set a strategy that transits could drop to as low as 18 per day, but they managed to limit restrictions to 22 transits per day.
The shipping companies were able to manage during the restrictions as the authority encouraged the greater use of reservations to reduce waiting times. A number of vessels have been rerouted around South America. The Panama Canal is currently reporting that there are 30 ships in the queue with reservations and only 11 without. The numbers peaked at over 100 ships in the queue at the end of 2023, and now the average wait time for ships without reservations has dropped to just over one to two and a half days.
Maritime Executive
