More than 100 years it was the bottleneck of world trade, the Panama Canal: the waterway that connects the Atlantic and Pacific. Now container, cruise and warships have more space -. Nine years the canal was widened
Following the global excitement surrounding the Panama Papers, the small Central American country some good news to announce: After nine years of construction, the bottleneck of world trade has widened, the expansion of the Panama canal is completed. Since 102 years the artificial waterway just across Panama to connect the Atlantic and the Pacific. The expansion was necessary because the existing channel for the ever larger container ships was no longer sufficient.
Captain Peter Pusztai, a Hungarian-German-born Panamanians, pilotage forms for the extended channel out. This is necessary because the gigantic container ships only exactly fit into the new locks. In a tiny boat the mid-fifties, cruises on a small artificial lake with miniature locks systems. Everything is modeled on the originals of the expanded Panama Canal in the scale of 1:25. The mini-freighter weighs 11.5 tons, the original – the Neopanamax Ships – 150 000 tonnes. What looks at first glance like adventures in Toyland, is just as demanding precision work as the journey through the real channel.
Precision work for the helmsmen
Pusztai is the sweat on his forehead:” stop engine can at any moment something goes wrong, you can have a whole beautiful day and a minute terror:. the machine turns out, the rudder is stuck on one side, especially when a ship passes by a boat, a large ship – it’s great stress, and you have to concentrate every day another ship. Passierschiffe, freighters, warships ships are like women are complicated and they react differently every day…. . “
the Mini test freighter heads for two Betonmäuerchen that are very close parallel. Pusztai explained: “Here you can see the old lock, and that is the new lock We also have the goal that you can carry on, we want to see if we can fit in there…”
<- infobox - ->the largest sliding doors in the world
millimeter precision pushes the bulky exercise freighter into the narrow gate. The new, genuine locks are 427 feet long and 55 feet wide, so that the ships of Neopanamax class fit through. More than 40,000 workers were employed for nine years with its construction, including Ricardo Chong. At the recently completed Cocolí-lock, on the Pacific side of the 82 km long canal explains Electromechanical engineer all his pride: the sliding door mechanism, with which the lock open now: “These are the largest sliding doors in the world The. are 57 meters long, ten meters wide and between 22 meters and 33 meters high. a door weighs 4,000 tons. The lock is like a big box with 2000 cars in it. “
New are also retention basin next to the lock. By they are to be consumed during human smuggling 60 percent less fresh water. Fresh concrete of the huge plant smells. The workers who act on her as small as ants, put the finishing touches. Chong watches them satisfied here. He was the first day on, “I’m very proud here was only earth beginning the Americans had to dredge ever started to create an extension, but because of the Second World War they had to stop the project in 1939, we have.!.. . all started from scratch “
The canal brings one billion euros per year
from the front and this time under its own responsibility Panamanian: Until 1999 were channel and the channel region, a respective five miles wide strip on each side, under US sovereignty. Today Panama earned alone: About one billion euros of revenue flowing annually into the treasury of the 3.3-million-inhabitant country. The costs of enlargement are between five and six billion dollars, estimated the deputy head of channel management Manuel Benítez.
The sum was so inaccurate because still is entitled to claim in the space and financing dispute with a construction consortium was unexplained. He led in 2014 to a building freeze, ultimately for almost two years late completion and additional costs of about two and a half billion dollars. That’s no reason for mourning for the administrator: “This commitment to the future is very important for a small country like Panama Our nation has a referendum majority decided in 2006 to proceed as it has understood that you have to invest when. progress wants and if we want to have a channel which retains its importance in world trade. It was not easy. But the construction was already during the work important to our economy. It has benefited a lot. “
the bottleneck was too tight
especially during the global crisis from 2008. Panama had little choice: the big ships up to 12,000 containers did not fit through the channel. The pressure was and is high. The ships are getting bigger, are also planning Chinese in nearby Nicaragua for years its own channel. but Benítez shakes it’s head. The project is not realistic, because the waterway is approximately three times would be as long as the Panama. What it rather concerns ready when the alleged competitors are global economy and climate change… “After the 2008 financial crisis 20 percent fewer containers were transported across the oceans We have suffered with us it was four percent less What also worries me is the climate change: Every ship needs 200 million liters of fresh water from our Gatun lake to be funneled through the channel when it rains less, we are concerned “
also why.. there is now the water-saving new locks. The old, however, remain in operation, whereby the traffic will increase significantly. 14,000 ships pass through Panama in the year, soon the amount of freight will double. The expansion “we are first-world country,” once said former President Torrijos, son of the head of state of the same name, who had negotiated Panama’s takeover of the channel in the 1970s with US President Carter.
the channel as an opportunity for Panama
first world – but this still lacks some, says Marco Jaenicke of the German-Panamanian chamber of Commerce. The channel could it create the necessary foundation. believes Jaenicke: “It is of course a source of money, and so you have to be responsible to deal That’s in the past does not always happen How often says… Panama is not a poor country, but there are many poor people One could start with meaningful investments. Now is already built the metro, the airport is being expanded. one should invest definitely in social projects. and, above all, in the formation. Panama has a lot of young people, which is an advantage that would want Germany . It only needs to be properly controlled, and then the country should have a very good future with the channel. “
Although the Panama canal brings money, but has the inequality and poverty not been eliminated. After all, Panama is far better than other countries in the region. The channel in the middle of America brings growth, about six percent a year. For his sake Panama has the dollar as payment. Exports are stable, there is no inflation. The dollar has attracted in the 1970s, many banks in order here to make offshore transactions. The country is considered as a safe haven because it is also politically stable. Around the channel a good infrastructure was created, and it is to be expanded in the coming years – which is then the next enlargement
“We did it”
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the new locks open during the inauguration ceremony for the first time for a Chinese freighter Neopanamax class. He was drawn to be funneled to the Pacific as the first in the extended passage from the Atlantic. The Chinese are important customers, the US, however, the largest: So far, come from 70 percent of the cargo, or go to the US. Initial tests of the new locks have already been held. Everything according to plan – to the delight of engineer Chong: “It was a huge project, with many obstacles and problems for months has been heard singing only the birds here, because the site was closed that time I wondered if we would ever quit.. . We did it. this is the most important. “
Unfortunately, the Panama Papers were competing laughs the engineer because it excited so much attention. Tourists took photos now from the office building of the offshore firm Mossack Fonseca. Nevertheless, the channel remains the undisputed attraction of Panama. Apart from the technical fascination it exerts, a ride through the canal is a natural experience: For those arriving by ship this artery of world trade, is surrounded by jungle, see crocodiles and monkeys. By extension, the more people will be able to admire with your own eyes
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