Long-planned event part of activity ahead of the Inauguration of the Expanded Canal; Anticipation and excitement grows as June 26 Inauguration approaches.

Panama City, Panama, June 9, 2016 – The Panama Canal’s chartered vessel transited the new Atlantic-facing Agua Clara Locks today. These transits, performed by the Neopanamax dry bulk carrier MN Baroque, are part of a series of a long-planned training events occurring in the run-up to the Expanded Canal’s June 26 Inauguration.

The vessel, which arrived in Panama this week, has a length of 255 meters and a beam of 43 meters, and was contracted by the Panama Canal to perform multiple lockages through the Expanded locks for testing and training purposes. They are taking place in parallel to training being conducted at the Canal’s state-of-the-art training facilities: the Center for Simulation, Research and Maritime Development (SIDMAR) and the Scale Model Maneuvering Training Facility. All went according to plan in today’s transit.

Once inaugurated on Sunday, June 26, the Expanded Canal will double the waterway’s cargo capacity, enhancing the Canal’s efficiency, reliability and customer service. The new waterway will provide greater economies of scale to global commerce as Neopanamax will be able to transit through due to expansion. In line with its focus on customer service since the handover to Panama nearly 20 years ago, the ACP continues to provide the world, global commerce and individual segments with new products and services.

The Panama Canal is run by an autonomous agency of the Government of Panama in charge of managing, operating and maintaining the Panama Canal. The operation of the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) is based on its organic law and the regulations approved by its Board of Directors.

 

The Panama Canal Expansion project is the largest construction project undertaken in the waterway since its opening in 1914. Considered and analyzed for a decade with more than 100 studies, construction on the first-ever expansion began in 2007 to provide the world (shippers, retailers, manufacturers, consumers) with greater shipping options, better maritime service, enhanced logistics and supply-chain reliability. The Expansion includes the construction of a new set of locks on both the Atlantic and Pacific sides and multiple dredging projects to create a second lane of traffic along the Canal. The new locks are much wider and deeper than the current locks (180 feet versus 110 feet and 60 feet versus 42 feet) and recycle nearly 60 percent of the water used per lockage with state-of-the art Water-Savings Basins. The project doubles the waterway’s cargo capacity, enhancing the Canal’s efficiency, reliability and customer service. The existing Canal serves more than 144 maritime routes, connecting 160 countries and 1,700 ports across the world. The Expanded Canal will provide greater economies of scale to global commerce as Neopanamax (formerly called Post-Panamax) ships, which can transport approximately three times the amount of containers than a Panamax vessel, will be able to transit through due to expansion. Since Neopanamax vessels and new segments, such as Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), can now take advantage of the Canal’s benefits, new routes, liner services and other maritime changes are expected to emerge. In line with its myopic focus on customer service since the handover to Panama nearly 20 years ago, the Panama Canal continues to provide the world, global commerce and individual segments with new products and services.

 

AEC provides a highly professional, differentiated quality services in the Drybulk and General Cargo segments. Not only does our company have highly qualified and professional Management and staff, but the company’s first class vision is fully integrated on all levels and complimented with a constant focus on a quality fleet to meet all the needs of our clients and ensure the most reliable service with the least surprises.

The Dry Cargo market has and is still extremely challenging, which means that many service providers (Owners/Operators) cut corners and make serious compromises in their performances.

AEC has always been sticking to the high profile, quality service without any compromises and we will continue to service our clients in such a manner. We truly believe that our philosophy is the right one and that AEC is without peers in the current market.

Bulk Phos Rock in MV Lowlands Brabo’s impeccable cargo holds

The fleet vessel MV Lowlands Brabo in the port of Santos, Brazil

Vessel details:

Technical Data

Vessel type: General Cargo Gross tonnage: 20,238 tons Summer DWT: 32,280 tons Length: 178 m Beam: 28 m Draught: 9.8 m

 

Additional Information

Class society: Nippon Kaiji Kyokai Build year: 2010

As mentioned in our AEC News input December 2015 (‘Interesting times in South America’ – http://aecarriers.com/interesting-times-in-south-america/ ), also Brazil was overdue for changes.

On Sunday the 17^th of April 2016 In Brasilia, a vast majority of Brazil’s lower house voted in favor of the impeachment of the current President Dilma Rousseff, less than two years after her reelection, deepening the country’s political crisis less than four months before the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics in Rio de ­Janeiro.

The impeachment measure will now move to Brazil’s Senate, where only a simple majority is needed to force Rousseff to step down. Senators would have 180 days to conduct formal impeachment hearings before a final vote to determine her fate while Vice President Michel Temer, Rousseff’s former running mate and now rival, assumes temporary control.

AEC supports the needed changes in Brazil, but also recognize that the next period will be complicated for the country and might affect local business and exports. A general and profound clean-up is badly needed in the political system but likely not around the corner, unfortunately… However, that the people’s voices for changes and the cry for prosperity have been heard, is considered a welcome change.

The words ‘Ordem e Pregresso’ (Order and Progress) on the Brazilian flag often seem misplaced…

AEC have successfully loaded vessels that have boxshaped holds and are ‘log fitted’ on deck with full cargoes of packed Timber. The cargoes in all the vessels cargo holds and on deck.

 

The fleet vessel, MV Lowland Brabo built in 2010 by Kanda, Japan with deadweight of 32,280 mts, loaded four grades of bulk fertilizer being Nitrobor, NPK, Can 21 and Amidas together two grades of NKP in big bags from Sluiskil, Netherlands and Heroya, Norway.