The first test run of the New Suez Canal was performed successfully on Saturday, July 25th, bringing this iconic project one step closer to completion.
In total, six different size boxships successfully navigated the new waterway, proving its readiness for full-fledged operations. The trial run is an important milestone before the official inauguration of the New Canal, on Thursday, August 6, 2015.
According to the officials, more than 43,000 workers took part in the construction of the New Suez. The volume of dry excavation works amounted to 250 million cubic meters, at an estimated cost of $550 million while the dredging works totaled over 250 million cubic meters of soil, at an estimated cost of $2.1 billion.
A total of 80 contractors plus six dredging companies, including Suez Canal Authority (SCA) dredgers, were deployed on the project.
The New Suez Canal will double the capacity of the existing waterway increasing its revenues from $5.3 billion per annum to $13.3 billion by 2023.