CAIRO: Egypt has tested a new 10-kilometre (6.2-mile) extension to the Suez Canal as it tries to minimise the impact of currents on shipping and increase the key waterway’s capacity.

During a trial run, two ships passed through a new stretch of the canal’s two-way section without incident on Saturday, a statement from the Suez Canal Authority said.

Vessels navigating the waterway have at times run aground, mostly because of strong winds and sandstorms.

Suez Canal Authority chief Osama Rabie said the development in the canal’s southern region will “enhance navigational safety and reduce the effects of water and air currents on passing ships”.

It would open only after new navigational maps are issued, he said.

In 2021, giant container ship Ever Given became wedged diagonally in the canal, blocking trade for nearly a week and resulting in delays that cost billions of dollars. Following the grounding of Ever Given, Egypt accelerated plans to extend the second channel in the southern reaches of the canal and widen the existing channel.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi earlier on Thursday said that due to “regional challenges”, the country had lost approximately $7 billion in Suez Canal revenue in 2024, marking more than a 60pc drop from 2023.

According to the Suez Canal Authority, the latest expansion extends the total length of the canal’s two-way section to 82km from a previous 72km. The canal is 193km long in total.

“This expansion will boost the canal’s capacity by an additional six to eight ships on a daily basis and enhance its ability to handle potential emergencies,” the Suez Canal Authority stated.

In 2015, Egypt undertook an $8-billion expansion to the waterway, followed by several smaller development projects.

The Suez Canal has long been a vital source of foreign currency for Egypt that has been undergoing its worst-ever economic crisis.

Published in Dawn, December 30th, 2024