Business Sectors
Business Sectors
Events
Contents
Panama Canal cuts quotas again after driest October since 1950
Transit reservation slots for vessels have been cut immediately from 31 to 25, with four further reductions taking the quota to as low as 18 from 1 February 2024
According to the Panama Canal Authority, October 2023 saw its lowest levels of rainfall since the earliest recorded registers 73 years ago.
Gatun Lake, a reservoir that provides water for the waterway’s operations, has fallen to ’unprecedented levels’ for the time of year, with 41% less rainfall than usual in one of Panama’s typical rainy seasons.
"With less than two months left until the end of the rainy season, the canal and the country face the challenge of the upcoming dry season with a minimum water reserve that must guarantee supply for more than 50% of the population and, at the same time, maintain the operations of the interoceanic waterway," the authority said.
With the pressure on water resources intensifying, Panama announced 25 reservation slots for 3-7 Nobember, 24 from 8-30 November, 22 for December, 20 for January 2024 and 18 as of 1 February 2024.
The new measures are in addition to those previously adopted to preserve fresh water resources and to ensure safe transit operations, such as the use of water reutilisation basins in the Neopanamax locks and cross-filling in the Panamax locks, according to the authority.
2023 has seen historically high temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean, exacerbated by the El Niño phenomenon, which raises the temperature of the Pacific Ocean and, in the case of Panama, delayed the start of the rainy season in Panama, resulting in a significant decrease in the levels of fresh water in the Canal’s reservoirs.
To address these challenges, the Canal is undertaking water-saving measures to supply 55% of the population and provide continuous service to maritime trade.
One of the implemented measures is cross-filling in the Panamax locks, a manoeuvre which involves reusing water from one lock chamber for use in the other, saving the equivalent of the average consumption of five daily transits.
Additionally, to the extent that the size of the vessels allows, simultaneous lockages are performed, with two ships transiting at the same time, occupying the same chamber.
The transit schedule has been optimised to maximise water savings in each chamber and accommodate the highest number of vessels.
In the neopanamax locks, the direction and scheduling of transits are analysed to make the most of every drop.
These adjustments have been made to manage the water shortage, among other actions to administrate transits, which have allowed the Canal to stabilise waiting times for customers.
Riviera Maritime Media’s Tanker Shipping & Trade Conference, Awards & Exhibition will be held 7-8 November 2023 in Athens, Greece. Use this link for further information and to register your interest
Riviera Maritime Media’s LNG Shipping & Terminals Conference will be held 14-15 November 2023 in London, UK. Use this link for further information and to register your interest
Riviera Maritime Media’s International Bulk Shipping Conference will be held 20 November 2023 in London, UK. Use this link for further information and to register your interest
Events
Maritime Regulations Webinar Week
16 Dec 2025
GMT - ONLINE
Floating energy: successfully unlocking stranded gas using FLNGs and FSRUs
24 Feb 2026GMT - ONLINE
© 2026 Riviera Maritime Media Ltd.
