{"id":7364,"date":"2006-02-17T17:07:27","date_gmt":"2006-02-17T17:07:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pancanal.com\/en\/?p=7364"},"modified":"2021-09-10T14:30:32","modified_gmt":"2021-09-10T14:30:32","slug":"acp-participates-in-first-annual-meeting-of-western-dredging-association-weda-panama-chapter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pancanal.com\/en\/acp-participates-in-first-annual-meeting-of-western-dredging-association-weda-panama-chapter\/","title":{"rendered":"ACP Participates in First Annual Meeting of Western Dredging Association (WEDA) Panama Chapter"},"content":{"rendered":"
DREDGING CRITICAL TO PROVIDING SAFE, RELIABLE AND EFFICIENT CANAL OPERATIONS<\/em><\/div>\n

PANAMA CITY, Panama, February 17, 2006 \u2013\u00a0<\/strong>The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) announced today that it participated in the first ever annual meeting of the Western Dredging Association\u2019s (WEDA) Panama Chapter. The meeting, held in Panama at the Gamboa Rainforest Resort, began on February 14 and ends today. Bringing together the world\u2019s top leaders in the dredging industry, the meeting provided an overview and history of dredging works at the Panama Canal, along with highlights of dredging projects currently underway. The event was sponsored by WEDA and Texas A&M University, and among those in attendance were members from the Central Dredging Association.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt has been a very exciting time for the ACP to exchange ideas and experiences on dredging with the world\u2019s top leaders in the field. Dredging is such an important part of the Canal\u2019s operations and it is imperative that we remain current and aware of the latest technological advancements as demand for Canal services continues to grow and capacity needs to be increased,\u201d said ACP Director of Engineering Agustin Arias.<\/p>\n

Meeting attendees were invited to the christening of the ACP\u2019s drill barge Bar\u00fa that was entirely manufactured by Panamanians. At 51 meters long and 15 meters wide, the Bar\u00fa is nearly the size of two basketball courts. Participating in the christening ceremony was ACP Administrator\/CEO Alberto Alem\u00e1n Zubieta.<\/p>\n

Dredging (deepening and widening navigation channels and other areas by extracting mud, rock and sand) is fundamental to maintaining and improving the Panama Canal\u2019s infrastructure. Members of the WEDA conference were given a tour of the Panama Canal and the opportunity to see ACP dredging equipment at work, such as the dipper dredge the Rialto M. Christensen. Current dredging projects that are part of the Canal\u2019s Permanent Modernization Program include:<\/p>\n