28·12·24 – Admiral Ossama Rabiee, Chairman and Managing Director of the Suez Canal Authority, has announced today, Saturday, the success of the trial operation of the duplication project of Suez Canal in the Small Bitter Lakes as a part of the development project of the Canal southern sector by the transiting of two vessels through the new waterway after completing the project’s dredging works; starting km 122 (Canal Marking) to km 132 (Canal Marking).
Adm. Rabiee stated that the traffic through the Canal witnessed the transit of the bulk carriers FU XING HAI and SUVARI BEY through the new waterway in the duplicated area in the Small Bitter Lakes on their voyage amongst vessels of the south-bound convoy. That is in parallel with the transit of 4 vessels from the eastern lane; the original waterway, and they are the containership MATHILDE SCHULTE, the multi-purpose vessel COSCO SHIPPING TENG DA, and the bulk carriers YANGTZE ALPHA and RUI FU CHENG.
H.E., the Chairman, has also mentioned that the SCA has taken numerous measures to ensure the success of the trial operation; from the installation of buoys and necessary navigational aids in the new waterway, in addition to assigning two escort tugboats for navigational security as well as a group of the most capable SCA pilots to guide vessels in the new waterway of the duplication project. This followed their inspection of the project site and conducting a trial maneuver of the safe transit at the Maritime Training and Simulation Academy.
H.E. has also asserted that the development project of the southern sector of the Canal in its two parts is deemed as a major qualitative leap that will contribute to enhancing the Canal’s navigational security and reduce the impact of both water and wind currents on the transiting vessels. Additionally, H.E. has highlighted the various navigational advantages of the duplication project of the Canal in the Small Bitter Lakes area by increasing the length of the duplication by 10 km. to be added to the New Suez Canal which has become 82 km. instead of 72 km. This will boost the Canal’s accommodation capacity by 6 to 8 additional vessels daily, and improve its ability to handle potential emergencies.
Adm. Rabiee has also issued directives on the joint coordination between the SCA’s Transit Department and the Egyptian Navy Hydrographic Department (ENHD) in order to issue the new navigational charts of the Canal that will incorporate the new duplicated part of 10 km. in length; starting at km. 122 (Canal Marking) to km. 132 (Canal Marking), in the Small Bitter Lakes area. The actual operation of the duplicated sector will start immediately upon issuing the new charts.
