The cofferdam separating the ocean waters from the Cocoli locks in the Pacific is to be removed and the process has started.
Following the successful endeavor on the Atlantic side, this process comes as the next phase after the Panama Canal began filling the Cocoli’s locks in late June.
Powerful electric and diesel pumps, specially designed for this job, were used for this intricate filing process. Approximately, the electric pumps provided 30,000 gallons of water per minute each, along with an added network of 13 diesel pumps that pumped 7,000 gallons of water per minute each. They filled the lower chamber at a rate of nine inches per hour.
The above video illustrates the unification of the new canal with the Pacific Ocean for the first time.
Source: Dredging Today
