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Panama Canal starts prequalification for new optimised water management system

The Panama Canal has published the call for the prequalification of those interested in participating as bidders for the design, construction and implementation of an optimised water resource management system.

Michele Labrut, Americas Correspondent

September 9, 2020

2 Min Read
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The system is designed to ensure the availability of water for human consumption and operations, as well as the competitiveness of the inter-oceanic waterway in the short, medium and long term, taking into consideration the sustainable development and socio-environmental management of the area.

With the publication of these specifications, the process for the development of an optimised water resource management system begins, which considers a portfolio of projects to strengthen and moderniae the current system and guarantee water supply for half of the country's population, concentrated in the provinces of Panama, Colon and West Panama, in addition to the operation of the Canal, for the next 50 years.

"Ensuring operational water levels, in a sustainable manner, is fundamental to the long-term viability of the Panama Canal. The historically low water levels in recent years only reinforced the need to adopt a comprehensive plan," said Panama Canal Administrator Ricaurte Vasquez Morales.

"As the largest investment in the Canal since the 2016 expansion, I am confident that this measure will safeguard the future of the waterway as one of the most important hubs for world trade. To achieve this, we are investing in an innovative system to effectively address water quantity, quality and control," he added.

Related:Panama Canal sees 10,000 transits of neo-panamax locks

Interested parties must submit, by 12 November, financial and technical information, along with a history of successful project execution, which will be evaluated by the Panama Canal to choose the best pre-qualified parties before the end of this year.

The prequalified will then receive the tender document with the requirements to prepare and submit, in the last quarter of 2021, their value proposal identifying a portfolio of projects for the projected management, in an integrated manner, of the water resources of the Panama Canal.

 The optimised water management system seeks to face the challenge of water, modernising and strengthening the administration of water resources, considering technological and engineering elements, framed in efficiency, integrated management of water resources and social and environmental management that distinguish the projects of the interoceanic waterway.

About the Author

Michele Labrut

Americas Correspondent

Michèle Labrut is a long-time Panama resident, a journalist and correspondent, and has continuously covered the maritime sector of Central & Latin America.

Michèle first came to Panama as a press attaché to the French Embassy and then returned to the isthmus as a foreign correspondent in the 1980s.

Author of Seatrade Maritime's annual Panama Maritime Review magazine and of several books, Michèle also wrote for Time magazine, The Miami Herald, NBC News and the Economist Intelligence Unit. She has also collaborated in making several documentaries for the BBC and European and U.S. television networks.

Michèle's profession necessitates a profound knowledge of the country, but her acumen is not from necessity alone, but a genuine passion for Panama.

In 2012 she was awarded the Order of Merit (Knight grade) by the French Government for her services to international journalism and in 2021 the upgrade to Chevalier grade.

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