China COSCO vessel will be first to transit expanded Panama Canal

More than 100 neopanamax ships have already made reservations to transit the waterway’s new larger locks following the historic inauguration and first voyage, according to the Panama Canal Administration.    A China COSCO Shipping vessel will make the first transit through the expanded Panama Canal on June 26 having won a lottery draw conducted Friday morning at the Panama Canal Administration building.
   The shipping line’s container vessel Andronikos which has a maximum capacity of 9,400 TEUs.
   If for any reason the Andronikos cannot be deployed, Wallenius Wilhemsen Lines’s car carrier Thalatta will take its place.
   In addition, more than 100 neopanamax ships have already made reservations for commercial transit through the new larger locks, which will begin on June 27, following the historic inauguration and first voyage.
   The first commercial transit reservation was granted to a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tanker Linden Pride operated by Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK Line).