en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Panama Canal marked the tenth anniversary of its expansion project on June 26 this year. The infrastructure became operational in 2016 with the inauguration of the Agua Clara and Cocoli Locks, and since then, transits through the Neopanamax locks have exceeded 31,000.

According to data from the Panama Canal Authority (ACP), during the first eight months of fiscal year 2026 (October 2025 to May 2026), a total of 8,593 transits were recorded, of which 2,385 were completed by Neopanamax vessels, accounting for 27.7% of total transits. The Authority noted that the expanded locks currently generate over 50% of the waterway's total revenue.

The ACP attributes this performance to the recovery of water levels in Gatun Lake and Alhajuela Lake, which has helped maintain the continuity of maritime transits.

Since becoming operational, the expanded Panama Canal has recorded several milestones, involving the integration of new market segments and increases in vessel sizes transiting the waterway. On June 27, 2016, the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tanker "Lycaste Peace" completed the first transit. A month later, on July 25, 2016, the "Maran Gas Apollonia" became the first liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker to pass through the expanded locks. More recently, on August 30, 2024, the container ship "MSC Marie" set a transit capacity record in the expanded Panama Canal, measuring 366 meters in length and capable of carrying 17,640 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs). In the cruise segment, on March 26, 2026, the canal recorded the first transit of the "Brilliant Lady," a vessel operated by Virgin Voyages.

The ACP also emphasized that climate events during 2023 and 2024 reinforced the need to implement long-term water management strategies. In this context, it mentioned the development of the Río Indio Lake project as one of the initiatives aimed at ensuring the safety of waterway operations and the water supply for the population. To commemorate the tenth anniversary, the Administrator of the Panama Canal Authority, Ricaurte Vásquez, and Deputy Administrator, Ilya Espino de Marotta, presented commemorative medals to five Neopanamax vessels in transit, in recognition of their participation during the first decade of the expansion's operation.

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