The Shipping Gazette has just reported that the expanded Panama Canal will be able to handle 97% of the world’s containerships, according to Panama Canal Authority (ACP) CE, Jorge Quijano.
Speaking at the Danish Maritime Forum, he added that, while it will be able to allow 14 000-TEU vessels along the waterway, the pilots at the beginning will only handle smaller vessels of up to 12 000 TEU capacity.
Despite recent problems with leaks in the lock gates of the expanded canal, Quijano still expects it to open in April next year, reports Colchester’s Seatrade Maritime News.
