The Administration of the Panama Canal by virtue of the compliance with the Panama Canal Treaties (1977), actually constitutes a complete responsibility of the Republic of Panama. This represents a great challenge for the country, not only at internal level but also face to the international community and to the users of the Canal.
To manage the operation of this important aquatic route represents for our country a commitment with the future generations of Panamanians who hope to see the Panama Canal as a central motor around of which it turns the economy of the country. It implies assuming with a responsibility and maturity level transcendental decisions of state that allow that the Panama Canal continues as an important factor within the global trade.
The management of the Canal, involves a great amount of details, as the related ones to planning studies, feasibility, trade, operation, traffic, financial strategy, global commerce and others.
The supplying of the Canal represents an important aspect, since it constitutes an angular piece in the operation of the Canal. By virtue of the Constitutional Title and according to the Statutory law of the Authority of the Panama Canal, the Board of Directors of the Panama Canal approved the Regulation of purchases, in which they establish the parameters and exigencies of legal order that govern the commercial interchange of goods and services with the Authority of the Panama Canal.
The Budget of the Panama Canal oscillates annually between US$ 100,000 MM. This implies a high degree of commercial opportunity, since constantly equipment, machineries, instruments, spare parts, pieces, devices, utensils are required, work tools, allowing a game of supply and demand game very interesting.
Description of the Program
The program consists of the construction of two sets of locks of three levels each with three bathtubs of water reusability by level, one in Pacific and another one in the Atlantic side.
Also it is part of the program, the extension and the deepening of the existing Canals of navigation of the GatúnLake and the entrances of the sea of the Pacific and the Atlantic as well as the deepening of the Cut Snake.
In order to connect the locks of the Pacific with the Cut Snake it will be necessary , the excavation in dry of a new Canal of access of 6,1 km in length.
The cost of the construction of the third game of locks is considered approximately in US$.5, 250 million.
The project of the third set of locks has the following objectives:
- To make growing and sustainable the contributions of the Canal to the National Treasury.
- To keep both the competitiveness and the value of the maritime route of the Panama Canal.
- To increase the ability to catch the growing demand with appropriate levels of service.
- To make the Canal more productive, safe and efficient.
The project of the third sets of locks includes three main components:
- An additional lane of locks separated in two complexes of locks of three steps each complex and equipped with bathtubs of water reusability.
- Channels of access to the new locks, and the widening and deepening of navigational channels.
- Elevation of the maximum level of operation of the Gatún lake.
The draft of the third set of locks will be able to handle container vessels up to 12,000 TEUs with maximum dimensions of 49 m (160 ') wide, 366 m (1,200') in length and 15 m (50 ') draft and other types of vessels up to 170,000 tons deadweight, with length of between 270 and 280 m, breadth 40 to 45.m. The Canal, expanded with the third set of locks, will have a sustainable capacity of approximately 600 million tons PCUMS a year, enough to meet demand until beyond 2025
The cameras of the new locks will be of 427 ms (1.400 ') of length by 55 ms (180 ') of width and 18,3 ms (60 ') of deep. The locks will use rolling gates, instead of the hinged gates that use the present locks.
Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8ohmxKA8hc&feature=related
Rolling gates are technology verified and used in nearly all existing locks with dimensions similar to the new ones. For the positioning of ships in the new locks it will use tugboats instead of locomotives, which is also widely used technology successfully in locks of similar dimensions.
The Canal will continue operating normally during the construction of the third sets of locks and the present locks will continue working once the third set of locks operates.
According with some studies of Panama Canal Authority, the third set of locks are financially profitable when rendering an internal rate of 12%. This investment will duplicate the capacity of the Canal, will increase its operational efficiency and will provide economic benefits to Panama.
Perhaps the Hydrographic River basin represents, one of main the preoccupations of the new administration since the hydric resource constitutes the motor of the Panama Canal and before the possibility of increasing the cross-country performance by the Canal, obvious the necessity of the water increases also, which entails to other far-reaching projects national.
The Hydrographic basin represents perhaps one of the main concerns of the new administration as the resource is the engine of the Panama Canal and with the possibility to increase the capacity of transit to through the Canal, obviously the need of water also increases, which leads to other major national projects.
Reverted areas
The reversion to the PanamanianState by the United States Government of 97.000 hectares of lands and 7.000 buildings and facilities located in the riversides of the Panama Canal in 2000, under the Torrijos-Carter Treaties, has allowed it the establishment of tourist, marine, commercial and industrial projects within this zone.
This situation allows Panama to offer at present, the greater infrastructure inventory of Central America and the Caribbean, since there are hundreds of buildings, structures and facilities to be occupied and developed by national and foreign companies.
The Inter-Oceanic Region Authority (ARI) has the responsibility to manage these areas in accordance with a Strategic Plan to the use of reverted areas.