The analyst who raised safety concerns about the Panama Canal’s new locks has replied to criticism from the Panama Canal Authority (ACP).
Fundação Homem do Mar’s (FHM) report claimed that the new locks are too small for safe operation (with both gates closed). In particular, the study found that the small dimensions of the locks, the lack of refuge areas for the tugboats inside them, and an insufficient bollard pull compromise the safety of manoeuvrability.
The ACP dismissed the study’s findings as “inadmissible” and argued in a statement that the claims made in the document are not based on mathematical models and do not include data from physical navigation tests. FHM denied this, citing several standards its simulators have met and articles it has taken into account, as well as the mathematical modelling programmes it possesses.
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