China’s COSCO Shipping has won the draw for the first transit through the expanded Panama Canal during the waterway’s inauguration on Sunday, June 26.
The shipping line’s container vessel Andronikos will be making the inaugural transit. The vessel, which has a maximum capacity of 9,400 TEUs, is 8.25 meters in beam and 299.98 meters in length.
In addition, more than 100 Neopanamax ships have already made reservations for commercial transit through the new locks, which will begin on June 27 following the inauguration.
The Panama Canal invited its top customers to participate in the draw which took place on Friday. Wallenius Wilhemsen Lines and China COSCO Shipping participated in the draw. WWL participated with the car carrier Thalatta. The car carrier, which has a maximum capacity of 8,000 CEUs (car equivalent units), is 36.5 meters in beam and 199.97 meters in length.
“It is a great honor to have one of our top customers celebrate this historical moment with us,” said Panama Canal Administrator, Jorge L. Quijano. “We are excited and prepared to continue providing the same reliable and efficient service within the Expanded Panama Canal that our customers have come to expect through the years.”
Buenas morning, Tom. Too bad they didn’t say where the transit will start, ie., Atlantic or Pacific entrance. Although we live in Boquete, we have a condo at Tucan with a clear, unobstructed, view of the new Cocoli locks where we watch ships transiting all the time. We want to be sure we’re there when this historic transit takes place.
Steve Clarke
Volcancito