Panama Canal: plans to build a new water tank

The Panama Canal (ACP) authorities are considering building a new water tank to maintain stable water levels and increase the reliability of this shipping route. They are therefore taking action to implement "long-term solutions" for water resources management after last year's drought caused by El Nino.

Panama Canal: plans to build a new water tank to maintain stable water levels

The Panama Canal (ACP) authorities are considering building a new water tank to maintain stable water levels and increase the reliability of this shipping route that is relevant to the economy of the world. Therefore, they are taking action to implement "long-term solutions" for water resources management after last year's drought caused by El Nino, which has significantly affected daily capacity.

The Panama Canal, designed for 36 ship crossings per day, usually serves 34 to 38 transits. However, weight restrictions have caused serious bottlenecks. At the end of last year, ACP warned that the number of daily transits could fall to 18, but the corrective measures taken allowed to keep the lowest number at 20. The current daily limit is 32 and the channel authorities are planning to increase it by the end of July, which means returning to normality.

The Panama Canal authorities are examining the possibility of building a new water tank on Rio Indio, which costs around $900 million. This tank would reduce the pressure on the canal lake system and provide water equivalent to 11 transits. However, this plan requires the removal of legal restrictions and the definition of water division boundaries so that the ACP can manage the reservoir area. These decisions are the responsibility of the government, which must submit the relevant provisions to the National Assembly.

ACP emphasizes that the project can be ready within four to five years of the start of the construction, but first you have to overcome legal and social obstacles. The planned capacity of the Rio Indio reservoir is intended to provide water for 55% of the population, which requires cooperation with residents to meet their needs and improve living conditions in the region.

The channel administrator, Ricaurte Morales, reported that the ACP is striving to introduce the pre-booking system permanently to manage the reduced number of transit slots. Currently around 70% of transits are booked in advance, which significantly increases the reliability of the channel. In the first quarter of this year, the waiting time for previously booked ships decreased by 10 hours compared to the previous year.

ACP is also considering other long-term solutions, such as downloading water from Lake Bayano into Lake Alajuela using a pipeline. All these initiatives aim to secure the future of the Panama Canal, which is crucial for global maritime trade.

The Panama Canal is responsible for about 5% of global sea transport, making it one of the most important shipping routes in the world, and the average ship pays about $50,000 to cross the channel.

Written by Mariusz Dasiewicz