The operator of the Panama Canal, a cargo ship route between the Atlantic and the Pacific, announced Tuesday that it would further reduce the number of crossings due to the drought. Traffic will be reduced to 25 ships per day starting Friday, November 3 and will gradually decrease to 20 ships per day in mid-February, the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) reported.
In 2022, this passage through which almost 6% of global maritime trade transits will host an average of 39 ships per day. However, due to the lack of water, the ACP had to decree at the end of July a first drastic limitation on traffic, which then increased to 32 ships a day and then to 29. The draft had been reduced to 44 feet (13.4 meters ).
Deadline explosion
“The month of October was the driest on record in 73 years,” warned the ACP. “The drought caused by the El Niño phenomenon continues to seriously impact the reservoir systems” necessary for the operation of the canal locks, the operator said.
The restrictions have caused deadlines for ships to pass through, and the queue reached 163 ships in August. At 80 kilometers long, the canal provides direct access between the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, allowing it to avoid the South American continent.
The main countries that use it are the United States, China and Japan. For each vessel, it is necessary to discharge approximately 200 million liters of fresh water, which the canal obtains from a hydrographic basin formed by lakes Gatún and Alajuela.
Source: BFM TV
