Shippingtelegraph: Panama Canal adjusts daily slots amid reduced rainfall

Published by shippingtelegraph

The Panama Canal has announced temporary modifications to the locks’ transit capacity including adjustments to its daily auctions as lower-than-expected rainfall continues to affect its watershed.

The authority adopts additional measures to support the long-term sustainability of transit operations.

From September 3, the number of daily slots available at the Neopanamax Locks will be adjusted to nine while the daily slots available at the Panamax Locks will be twenty-five.

As of September 15, the number of daily slots accessible at the Panamax Locks will be twenty-three.

Furthermore, the Panama Canal authority also adjusts, temporarily, the offer of its daily auction slots.

Beginning on September 3, the daily auction slot designated for Neopanamax, Supers and Regular vessels will be organized into four groups: LNG, LPG (group 1), dry bulk carriers, general cargo, others (group 2), container vessels, vehicle carriers/roro, refrigerated (group 3), and chemical tankers, crude/product tankers (group 4).

Customers that already secured a booking slot for the same transit date through LoTSA, NetZero, or prior allocations will not be eligible to obtain an additional slot unless no other competitors exist. Customer limits do not apply to slots awarded through the auction process.

Furthermore, in the Neopanamax Locks, full container vessels with the highest TEU capacity will be given priority during the allocation process, with Customer Ranking used as the tiebreaker criterion.

The latest reduction in the number of daily transits may increase waiting times for vessels arriving at the waterway without a secured reservation.

Therefore, the authority urges customers to use the booking and reservation options available through the Transit Reservation (Booking) System.

Moreover, the maximum authorized draft of 14.63 meters (48.0 feet) TFW in the Neopanamax Locks, which was due to take effect on August 26, has been postponed until September 2.

The maximum authorized draft adjustment of 14.48 meters (47.5 feet) TFW, scheduled to become effective on September 3, will also be postponed until October 1.