Average of transits neopanamax reaches 7.5 daily ships

The waterway recorded a record contribution to the National Treasury last year: $ 1,703 million

Some 7.5 Neopanamax ships on average transit the Panama Canal daily since January. But they have gone up to 12 in the same day.

A balance of the Panama Canal Authority, after having completed the first thousand days of operation in March, also reveals that despite being fewer ships that transit through the neopanamax locks than those that do it through the panamax, These represent 50.8% of the revenues from tolls, given the greater load capacity.

With the expansion of the waterway, which was inaugurated in 2016, the Canal has increased the tonnage of cargo, in addition to monopolizing new segments and new lines that arrived for the first time, thus capitalizing the reduction of time.

A detail of the ACP established that container ships represent around 51% of traffic through the neopanamax locks, followed by Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) ships, with almost 26.2% and 11.3%. %, respectively.

Other segments such as bulk carriers, tankers, vehicle carriers and cruises have also traveled through the neopanamax locks.

Based on the increase in volume, the waterway sent the National Treasury a record figure last year: $ 1,703 million. The previous year (2017) had given $ 1,650 million. An average jump of 60% compared to the years prior to the new locks, detailed a statement from the company.

The segments of greatest growth after enlargement have been those of LNG and LPG). Of the 29 line services of container ships that currently pass through the road, 16 have been on neopanamax vessels.

Another change is the provision of additional reserves for the neopanamax locks, which increased the reserve spaces of six that were available in 2016 to eight.

The maximum beam was also increased to 51.25 meters for ships transiting the neopanamax locks, accommodating larger and larger tonnage ships.

 

Source LaEstrella