Over 60 vessels transit Panama Canal since expansion

The Panama Canal Authority has announced that, since the expanded waterway opened, 69 Neopanamax vessels have transited it. This number includes 40 containerships, 24 LPG carriers, three vehicle carriers and two LNG carriers. Furthermore, 250 reservations have been booked to use the canal, including for seven cruise ships.

The first LNG carrier – the Shell-chartered Maran Gas Apollonia – arrived at the canal on 25 July 2016, having travelled from the Sabine Pass LNG terminal on the US Gulf Coast. BP’s British Merchant followed, reportedly carrying LNG from Trinidad and Tobago to Mexico.

Jorge L. Quijano, the Panama Canal Administrator and CEO, said: “We are very pleased with the first month of operations at the expanded canal since the inauguration.

"The increasing demand is further evidence of the maritime industry's continued trust in the expanded canal, and the great impact it will have on the future of world maritime trade.

"We look forward to setting more milestones and making more progress to meet and exceed our customers' expectations and the quality of service they have come to expect at the Panama Canal.

"Our commitment to our customers and the maritime industry is paramount."

Edited from press release by David Rowlands

Read the article online at: https://www.lngindustry.com/lng-shipping/03082016/over-60-vessels-transit-panama-canal-since-expansion-2852/