The first ship has sailed through the New Panama Canal after a test operation was carried out on the Pacific side via the use of simulation.
It was the first operation of this kind to check the effective functioning of the locks that will allow the new giant Post-Panamax ships to pass through the American continent.
The new canal is being completed by the international consortium led by Salini Impregilo, with Sacyr (Spain) and Jan de Nul (Belgium).
Technicians of the consortium simulated the passage of a ship, following all the steps in sequence required when real ships will pass through the new lock system.
Technical Paper: The Third Lock Expansion
The Italian-made channel gates and the valves opened and closed with perfect synchronisation according to test that enabled to fine-tune the electromechanical and electronic functions.
The ship, entitled ‘Italy’, was visible on the control monitor and sailed through the three locks taking to the Ocean, arriving at its destination in less than four hours.
The Panama Canal Authority recently announced a second draft restriction as a result of the El Nino pattern.
The new canal will officially be opened on June 26, 2016. This manoeuvre, when everything will be in function, will be made in about two hours, and it will only take 8-10 hours to sail from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean.
Fact File: Salini Impregilo is a global player in the construction of major infrastructures. It specialises in the water sector, as well as railways and metro systems, bridges, roads and motorways, large civil and industrial buildings, and airports. The group has 110 years of experience in five continents, with design, engineering and construction operations in 50 countries and more than 35,000 employees from over 80 different cultural backgrounds.
