Panama Canal postpones depth limits as rain provides relief from drought

The Panama Canal Authority has postponed a set of depth restrictions on large vessels after heavy rains last week provided relief from a lengthy draught season.

PHOTO: Hapag-Lloyd's container ship crossing the Panama Canal. Hapag-Lloyd

Movement of vessels through the waterway has been impacted by a severe drought situation there.

Considering this, the canal authority had earlier announced that Neoapanamax and Panamax class vessels will have to float at higher depths starting 25 June and 19 July, respectively. The draft limitations were lowered to 43.5 feet for Neopanamax locks and to 39.0 feet for Panamax locks, from 44.0 feet and 39.5 feet, respectively. These requirements would have forced operators to shed cargo or other weight, impacting global trade.

In an advisory to customers on 23 June, the authority said favorable weather conditions led to the unspecified postponement of depth limits. The authority will continue to monitor water levels of the Gatun Lake, which forms a major part of the canal, for future updates on depth limits, it says in the advisory.

Water level in the Gatun Lake dipped to its lowest since July 2019 last week. But it has improved since then with the arrival of heavy rains. The lake's officially observed level on 25 June was 79.8 feet, compared with 79.6 feet in the previous week.

By Debarati Bhattacharjee

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