Maritime Industry Briefing: Panama Canal Eases Restrictions as Nel ASA Secures US Navy Submarine Contract

## Panama Canal Loosens Draft and Transit Restrictions After months of increasingly stringent operational constraints, the Panama Canal Authority is set to ease restrictions as improved rainfall boosts water levels in Gatun Lake, the critical freshwater reservoir that feeds the canal's lock system. According to Splash247, the canal will raise allowable draft limits and expand daily transit capacity from October 15, with neopanamax transits increasing to 10 per day — a move that will lift combined neopanamax and panamax capacity meaningfully above recent suppressed levels. The restrictions, which had been tightening through much of the past year due to an extended drought, forced shipping lines to reduce vessel loads, reroute cargo, and in some cases divert entirely to alternative passages such as the Suez Canal or Cape of Good Hope. The easing will be welcomed by carriers and shippers alike, as the Panama Canal remains one of the world's most strategically vital chokepoints, handling a significant share of global container, LNG, and bulk commodity flows between the Atlantic and Pacific. The canal authority is expected to continue monitoring lake levels closely, with further adjustments to transit slots and draft allowances contingent on sustained precipitation through the coming weeks. --- ## Nel ASA Wins Collins Aerospace Order for US Navy Submarine Stacks In the defence and naval technology sector, Nel Hydrogen US — a subsidiary of Oslo-listed Nel ASA — has received a new purchase order from Collins Aerospace for proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyser stacks, the company announced via PR Newswire on September 29, 2026. The equipment is destined for use in oxygen generation systems that support life-support functions aboard US Navy submarines. The contract underscores the growing role of advanced hydrogen and electrolyser technology in naval defence applications, where reliable, compact, and efficient oxygen generation is mission-critical. PEM electrolysers split water into hydrogen and oxygen using an electric current, making them well-suited to the controlled environments of submarine operations. Nel ASA has been expanding its footprint in defence and industrial gas markets alongside its commercial hydrogen business. The Collins Aerospace partnership adds a high-profile US military programme to its order book, signalling confidence in Nel's technology at the most demanding end of the reliability spectrum. Financial terms of the purchase order were not disclosed.