CERRO ITAMUT

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Panama Canal Reinforces Tug Fleet for Expansion with CERRO ITAMUT and CERRO PICACHO

The Panama Canal has increased its tugboat fleet with the arrival of the first two of 14 tugboats that will improve the waterway’s resources to offer a safer and more efficient service to the global shipping industry. These tugboats will strengthen the Canal’s capacity for the operation of the Third Set of Locks. “These new tugboats will allow the Panama Canal to continue offering a world-class service,” Panama Canal Administrator Jorge L. Quiijano said. “They will help us prepare to face the challenge of operating the new set of locks with the same efficiency.” CERRO ITAMUT and CERRO PICACHO are part of the new fleet of 14 tractor tugs that will be arriving within the next 12 months from Spain. Astilleros Armon, S.A., a Spanish ship-building company, was awarded the contract in September 2011, after an open tender with the participation of 20 companies from different countries in South America, Europe and Asia. Quijano explained that the update to the Panama Canal tugboat fleet began in 2001, when the waterway had 20 tugs. Currently, the Panama Canal has 39.