Panama Canal Welcomes 6,000th Neopanamax Vessel

In late April, the Panama Canal welcomed its 6,000th Neopanamax vessel through its expanded canal, local canal authority, ACP said. The milestone was reached after the LNG vessel Energy Liberty completed the transit. It traveled southbound from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. “Once again, we are proud to celebrate this achievement alongside our world-class workforce and LNG industry partners, who have swiftly adopted the waterway since the inauguration of the expanded canal less than three years ago,” said Panama Canal Administrator Jorge Quijano. The expanded canal has been seen as a competitive route for U.S. gas shipments to major Asian importers. ACP said that out the 6,000 Neopanamax vessels that have transited to date, more than 50 percent have been from the container segment. Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) vessels accounted for another 26 percent, and LNG vessels for 11 percent, ACP said. The remaining are made up of dry and liquid bulk carriers, car carriers and cruise ships.