Such unpredictable weather patterns are serious concerns for Panama Canal Authority (ACP) Administrator Dr Ricaurte Vasquez who needs to ensure a reliable and sustainable service for the Canal customers.
The ACP had to announce, at end-August, it would maintain a draught of 13.41mtr throughout the remainder of the current year and part of 2024 and reduce the daily number of vessels transiting the Canal to 32, down from an average of 36 in normal circumstances. Neopanamax transit capacity will remain largely unchanged at an average of 10 daily transits. New booking conditions will help diminish the on-going congestion.
In 1997-1998, the phenomenon El Nino provoked severe drought with reductions of transits and draughts. ‘But today, the effect of climate change is recurring more often and with more severity,’ says Vasquez. ‘We don’t see as many tropical storms, hurricanes are category 4 or 5 and this year the pattern of temperatures has also varied in Panama, increasing water evaporation which provokes greater salinisation of Gatun Lake, which is our greatest challenge.’
Upon his arrival in September 2019, the ACP Administrator had declared that, to increase the waterway capacity, it was imperative to address a ‘Water Programme’ for developing methods of reducing water consumption, augmenting storage capacity to guarantee water supply for transits, thus increasing the waterway capacity. Vasquez presented the water issue as the Canal’s major project during his tenure.
