An endorsement from global shipping line Maersk for Nicaragua’s US$40bn inter-oceanic canal is welcome news for the country’s construction chamber, according to its president BenjamÃn Lanzas.
“Building a Nicaragua canal seems to make good sense. The canal is projected to have room for the biggest ships, while also saving 800km on a journey from New York to Los Angeles,” said Keith Svendsen, head of daily operations for Maersk, according to a report by maritime industry outlet Shippingwatch.com.
The canal, to be developed and operated by Chinese concessionaire HKND, has met opposition from inside and outside the country, and the start of works at one point was postponed to 2015 before the government backtracked and reaffirmed that construction would begin in December this year as originally planned.