Egypt Daily News –
Egypt said on Saturday that it had successfully conducted the trial run of the Suez Canal dual lane project. Lieutenant General Osama Rabie, Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority, announced, “The successful trial operation of the project to double the Suez Canal in the Lesser Bitter Lakes within the project to develop the southern sector of the canal, with two ships crossing the new navigation channel of the canal after the completion of the project’s dredging work.”
According to the Suez Canal Authority’s statement published on the website of the State Information Service, the navigation movement in the canal witnessed “the crossing of both the bulk ship FU 4 ships from the eastern side of the original canal, which is the container ship MATHILDE SCHULTE, “The multi-purpose ship COSCO SHIPPING TENG Da, the bulk ship YANGTZE ALPHA, and the ship RUI FU Cheng.”
Lieutenant General Rabie pointed out that “the Authority has taken many measures to ensure the success of the trial operation, starting with equipping the new channel with floats and the necessary navigational equipment at the project site, in addition to appointing two tugs accompanying navigational insurance and a group of the most efficient canal guides to guide ships in the new channel of the duplication project, after They inspected the project site, then an experimental maneuver was conducted at the Maritime Training and Simulation Academy for safe crossing.
The Chairman of the Authority stressed that “the project to develop the southern sector in both parts is a major qualitative leap that will contribute to enhancing navigational safety in the canal and reducing the effects of water and air currents on passing ships.”
He pointed out the many navigational advantages that the “project of doubling the canal in the Lesser Bitter Lakes region” will achieve by increasing the double area by 10 kilometers to be added to the new Suez Canal, making its length 82 kilometers instead of 72 kilometres, which will contribute to increasing the canal’s carrying capacity by 6 to 8 ships. additional daily, as well as increasing the ability to deal with potential emergency situations.”
The Chairman of the Authority directed joint coordination between the Authority’s Movements Department and the Marine Survey Division of the Egyptian Naval Forces to issue new navigational charts for the canal after adding the new double section with a length of 10 kilometers, from Kilometer 122 canal numbering to Kilometer 132 canal numbering in the area of the Lesser Bitter Lakes, to be completed. Actual operation in the dual zone immediately after the issuance of the new maps.”
