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Elevated temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean, compounded by the presence of the El Niño phenomenon and the delayed onset of the rainy season, have directly impacted the levels of freshwater in the Panama Canal’s reservoirs...
…The current operational strategy is focused on saving water while ensuring reliability on transit for our customers around the world. For that, transparency in communicating with customers is critical…
…All transits that have been booked ahead of time are going through the Canal on schedule. That is why we urge our customers to make reservations ahead of time, so the measures we put in place are reliable for everyone.
Our operational and water saving strategies are focused on critical steps, including:
Other measures include tandem lockages, with two ships transiting at the same time occupying one chamber, whenever the size of the vessels allows it. Furthermore, the transit schedule has been optimized to maximize water savings in each chamber and accommodate the highest number of vessels. In the Neopanamax locks, the direction and scheduling of transits are analyzed to make the most of every drop of this resource.
Additional procedures, such as the incremental usage of water saving basins in Neopanamax locks; short chamber lockage in Panamax locks when vessel dimensions allow it; minimal changes of direction in the Gatun locks; stricter control of water leaks in valves and gates; suspension of hydraulic assistance during lockages; and maintaining Lake Miraflores at its maximum operating level, all add up to saving as much as 50% of this resource.
Despite all measures taken, the level of Gatun Lake has continued to decline to unprecedented levels for this time of year. So far, 2023 is on par to become the second driest year on record. Our hydrological department provides updates on the watershed situation and a projection of water consumption, under multiple scenarios given the poor rainfall experienced so far and expected in the upcoming months. Based on their forecasts, the Canal determined that a gradual reduction to 18 daily transits would be necessary to ensure water for human consumption and business continuity during the upcoming dry season. The Canal has announced these changes far in advance to ensure ships can adapt long before departing for the waterway. Additionally, customers are provided with real-time information.
In addition to these water-saving measures, we are currently exploring additional shorter-term solutions to help optimize the use and storage of water at the Canal…
…The search continues for a set of long-term, concrete solutions…
The waterway’s specialists—in conjunction with US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)—have confirmed that technical solutions within the Panama Canal's jurisdiction are not sufficient to meet the growing demand for water. Instead, a set of solutions will need to be pursued, some of which fall outside of the Panama Canal Watershed.
Advancing any solutions outside the Canal Watershed requires approval from the Panamanian government. The Board of Directors delivered a proposal to the government to advance this process in September [which] focuses on two key asks:
- Define the Canal Watershed and modify or expand the limits established in Law 20 of 2006
- Eliminate the restrictions imposed on the Canal in Law 28 of 2006 for the construction of new reservoir…
(For information about operations in the Panama Canal, contact GAC Panama at [email protected])
Source: Extract from the Panama Canal Authority Monthly Canal Operations Summary dated 7 December 2023