Rhine water levels drop, pushing up shipping costs
Water levels on Germany's Rhine river have fallen again due to dry weather, increasing industry costs for freight shipping. Vessels can only sail part-loaded, leading to higher tanker transport costs from Rotterdam to Karlsruhe, which rose to about €185-€190 a metric ton on Monday, up from around €180 last week. The navigable water gauge at the chokepoint of Kaub was around 15 cm on Monday, down from 26 cm on Friday. The WSV forecasts no major improvement in river water levels in the coming week. Germany is among European countries suffering successive heatwaves and limited rainfall this
HAMBURG, Sept 21 (Reuters) — Water levels on the river Rhine in Germany have fallen again in the past week after dry weather, the country’s inland navigation agency said on Monday, increasing industry's costs for freight shipping. Lack of rain in the past week in river catchment areas means levels have dropped again and vessels can only sail part-loaded, commodity traders said. Much cargo has also been transferred to road and railway transport after repeated disruption to river shipping this summer. Inland navigation agency WSV said the navigable water gauge at the chokepoint of Kaub near Koblenz was around 15 cm on Monday, down from 26 cm on Friday.
The navigable water gauge on the Rhine fell below 10 cm in mid-August, below the previous lowest recorded level of 25 cm in 2018. The river is about 1 metre deeper than the gauge. German companies have faced higher transport costs from low Rhine water levels this summer, with industry also suffering logistics bottlenecks and curbed production. Costs for freight shipping are rising as vessels are sailing with less cargo.
04) a metric ton on Monday, up from around €180 last week. The WSV forecast that no major improvement in river water levels is expected in the coming week, but some rain expected could keep the river stable around current levels. Germany is among European countries suffering successive heatwaves and limited rainfall this summer, pushing down water levels on waterways such as the Rhine. The river is an important shipping route for commodities including grains, minerals, ores, coal and oil products, including petrol.
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