The Panama Canal has unveiled a ten-year roadmap designed to reinforce its strategic role in global trade, safeguard long-term sustainability, and deliver tangible benefits to the nation.
The canal’s vision rests on two main pillars. First, water security, achieved through increased storage capacity for human consumption and canal operations which ensure resilience over the long term. Second, sustained growth, by diversifying business activities and expanding transport capacity without increasing water usage. With these measures, the canal seeks to capture maximum value from its route and to remain the preferred option for global customers.
With this vision, the Panama Canal will evolve beyond an interoceanic passage and become a logistics hub, strengthening Panama’s competitive edge in world commerce.
The strategy was presented at a media event chaired by the Minister for Canal Affairs, Jose Ramón Icaza; the Canal Administrator, Ricaurte Vásquez Morales; and the Deputy Administrator and Sustainability Officer, Ilya Espino de Marotta.
Strategic Projects
The Panama Canal will invest more than $8 million in strategic projects that will not only create jobs for Panamanians but will also drive national economic growth. The increase in revenue derived from these initiatives will enable the canal to transfer larger annual contributions to the National Government, which will be invested in social development projects for the benefit of the population.
The Río Indio Reservoir will secure water for more than one million Panamanians and enhance the reliability of canal transits, therefor maximizing its value.
The Interoceanic Energy Corridor will include a 76-kilometer pipeline and two maritime terminals with provisions for the movement of up to 2.5 million barrels of energy products per day and linking the Atlantic and Pacific coasts without crossing the locks.
The pipeline, alone, is expected to create more than 45,000 jobs during construction and 11,000 during operations, contributing more than $64 billion throughout its lifespan. In addition, it is projected to generate more than $647 million for the State during execution of the project and over $35 billion between 2031 and 2050, resources that will be directed to social projects.
The Corozal Port, located on the east bank, will be integrated into a land-based logistics platform connected by road and rail.
The Panama Canal guarantees open and transparent processes in the development of all projects. For the energy corridor, the The Panama Canal Authority Board of Directors has already approved the start of the process to select a concessionaire.
This begins with outreach to potential stakeholders, followed by the prequalification of companies, technical dialogue sessions, and then preparation of the final bidding terms. The tender is projected for the second quarter of 2026, with the participation of international firms that have proven experience in this type of infrastructure.
In parallel, the pre-feasibility study for the Corozal Port is advancing into the contracting phase, with results expected in the first quarter of 2026 and construction scheduled to begin in 2028.