Banca March | Weather conditions in recent months have led to a drought that is hampering the supply of the artificial lake that connects the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. As early as 30 July, measures were taken to reduce traffic from 38 vessels in normal conditions to 32. The waiting time estimated by the canal itself is between 9 and 11 days. The restrictions on both the depth and daily…
After fulfilling three years’ maintenance of the third set of locks, Sacyr and its partners in the consortium GUPC (of which the Spanish constructor controls 41.6%) have ended their contractual relationship with the Panama Canal Authority
The Miami Court of Arbitration delivered the sentence on Wednesday which obliges the consortium GUPC, in which Sacyr holds 41%, to returns the advances of 489 M€ which the Panama Canal Authority paid to start the work on the third set of locks.
The Third Set Of Locks project will open a third lane of traffic for ships and will increase the Panama Canal’s capacity in 2016 to 600 milion tonnes transited from 340 million in 2015, while also increasing the number of journeys to over 16,000 from 13,000. This includes ships with bigger capacity, up to 12,000 containers.
After straightening out the disputes with the Panamanian authorities over the costs related to the Canal works, Sacyr will finally inaugurate it in June. Board member Juan Maria Aguirre points out that the company has succeeded in overcoming the property crash and has drastically reduced its debt levels. Now it has to contend with the unexpected consequences of having an 8.5% stake in Repsol after the oil price bubble burst.
MADRID | By Julia Pastor | Come to peace terms has not been easy for Spanish company Sacyr and Panama Canal Authority. The pre-deal tacitly accepted by both parties mid February suffered a little setback some days later when hesitations of the project insurer as well as Spanish government’s prevented to sign the contract. On Thursday, the pre-deal became a “conceptual agreement” that hopefully will put a real end point to such a prolonged and complex diplomacy affair.
LATAM CORRESPONDENT David Brunat | Across the Panamanian media political pundits are praising the firmness of their government in this dispute, blaming the GUPC and particularly Spanish firm Sacyr for the standoff and for putting Panama on the brink. The pulse has turned into a nationalistic claim and now foreign companies are being accused of misbehaving in Panama.
MADRID | By Julia Pastor | It has been a long process plenty of gives and takes but Spanish company Sacyr and Panama Canal authority have agreed in principle over works’ finalisation at the inland waterway that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific. The pre-deal is a cocktail mixing proposals of one side and the other: converting the $400 million insurance into a loan to enable the firm obtain external funds, and also an equally divided contribution of $100 million on each part. Furthermore, Panamian administrator will allow GUPC to postpone the repayment of $780 million anticipated in the contract. The international arbitration on $1,600 million in overun costs will continue parallel to project’s termination.
BRUSSELS | By Jacobo de Regoyos | The consortium responsible for the Panama Canal expansion, led by Spanish company Sacyr, and the Panama Canal Authority (PCA) agreed on negotiating a new framework until next February 1 in order to achieve a definitive solution to the economic problems of the project and ensure its conclusion. EC Industry Commissioner and Vice-President is doing everything he can to make both parties come to terms. Although everyone is avoiding the word “mediation” not to interfere with the arbitration process set by contract, Antonio Tajani does want to mediate. However, at the time of this interview with The Corner he has not met with any person in charge of the Latin American country yet. The enthusiasm he showed offering his help has not been corresponded across the Atlantic so far.
MADRID| By Julia Pastor| Far from resolving the strife over additional costs to finalise Panama Canal’s third set of locks, actors involved are apparently working on different positions. Spanish company Sacyr, which leads the consortium undertaking the expansion bet on an agreement since the beginning, but the Panama Canal Authority has not smoothed the path, even rejecting EU’ mediation. Last Sacyr’s offer considers to cofinance the project. PCA’s answer has been a different proposal for using the infrastructure’s insurance as a guarantee to get external financing and terminate the works. The deal remains blocked then.