The $1.6 Billion Plan To Fix The Panama Canal’s Drought Problem

Panama Canal Drought Impact - The Panama Canal faces challenges due to recent droughts, with vessel transits in 2024 falling 29% compared to the prior year [1][13] - Drought conditions could limit the canal's capacity by 50% by 2050, potentially having devastating consequences for U S commerce [13] - The 2023 and 2024 drought forced the Panama Canal Authority to limit vessel transits to 18 ships per day, while about 36 ships crossed the canal daily before the drought [1] Panama Canal Authority's Response - The Panama Canal Authority plans to spend $16 billion to build a new reservoir to hold 12 billion m³ of water to prepare for future droughts [4] - The Panama Canal Authority had a net income of about $34 billion in 2024 and almost $5 billion in total revenue [22] - The Panama Canal Authority is studying the possibility of adding a 1 million barrel per day pipeline to transport ethane and liquid petroleum gas from the Caribbean to the Pacific side of the canal [29] Alternative Solutions and Adaptations - Some shippers have shifted to roads and trains running alongside the canal to combat drought vessel restrictions and congestion [24] - In 2024, ocean carrier Maersk opened a land bridge and pulled some containers off ships before entering the canal, using rail transport [26] - Large cargo ships pay about $13 million to transit, for vessels like the 17,000 TEU vessels [27][28] Community Impact - The proposed Rio Indio project faces resistance as it will flood 17mi² of land, impacting an estimated 2,500 people [5] - The Panama Canal Authority plans to spend $400 million to compensate and relocate communities affected by the Rio Indio project [16]