News / MSC Marie sets a new record as Panama Canal gets back in business

© Yanik Chauvin

After the stronger-than-expected rain allowed the Panama Canal to cancel restrictions on transits, the weekend saw a visit by the 17,640 teu behemoth MSC Marie, which set a new record.

The vessel, delivered to MSC this year, became the largest cargo vessel to transit the canal, overtaking Evergreen’s 17,312 teu Ever Max which passed through the canal in August 2023.

As of today, water levels in the Gatun Lake, the reservoir which feeds the canal, were at a healthy 85.9ft, well ahead of five-year average water levels for September.

A prolonged period of drought, brought on by El Niño and exacerbated by climate change, brought water levels in the lake to a mere 79.24ft in July 2023, and affected Central and South America to such an extent that water levels in Brazil’s Amazon river reached a nadir from which climatologists do not expect it to fully recover until 2026.

With restrictions in place, such was the scale of the resulting bottleneck that Maersk went on record discussing alternatives to the canal, such as the Panama Canal Railway and even the Corredor Oceanico, a new rail network spanning Mexico.

Now, however, MSC Marie’s record transit will be regarded as affirmation of ‘business as usual’ at the canal.

And even bigger vessels may one day be seen on the canal. Following extensive research which has linked more severe El Niño droughts with the worsening effects of climate change, the latest problem was taken as a warning sign by the Panama Canal Authority, the ACP, which is embarking on a project to construct a second reservoir.

“Aspects such as climate change and reduced rainfall, as well as the increase in population have put the country in an urgent position to make decisions to ensure the future availability of the resource,” said canal administrator Ricaurte Vásquez Morales recently. “This is a fact that cannot be ignored, since it is a primary responsibility of the country and a mandate for the canal.”