The Panama Canal Authority is celebrating the largest cargo capacity vessel to pass through the interoceanic route.
Mediterranean Shipping Company’s MSC Marie, measuring 366 metres in length and 51 metres in width, boasts a maximum capacity of 17,640 TEUs which set the new record.
This achievement surpasses the previous record held by the EVER MAX vessel, which made the transit at a capacity of 17,312 TEUs during an inaugural passage in August 2023.
The arrival of the MSC MARIE in Panama, coming from the port of Manzanillo in Mexico, not only highlights the canal’s ability to handle the largest and most modern ships, but also its importance as a key hub in global trade, the Canal Authority said in a statement.
Having been battered by a severe drought for 12 months from May last year, the Panama Canal Authority has been working out solutions to ensure greater water security. Recent rain will allow the canal to accommodate 36 transits a day from this month. Preparations for a $2 billion (USD) expansion of one of the canal’s water reservoirs, following approval by Panama’s Supreme Court, are expected to take 18 to 24 months.
The canal opened on August 15, 1914 and has seen more than 1.2 million ships pass through since its inception. Ships that sail through the canal can journey from the Pacific Ocean to the Caribbean in approximately eight hours, avoiding the longer route around Cape Horn.
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