Water levels on the river Rhine in Germany fell to new lows on Thursday, the country’s inland navigation agency said, increasing problems and costs for freight shipping.
Inland navigation agency WSV said the navigable water depth at the chokepoint of Kaub near Koblenz was 19 centimetres on Thursday, below the previous lowest recorded level of 25 centimetres in 2018. The river is about one metre deeper than the navigable depth.
Shallow water after this summer’s heatwave and scarce rainfall means freight vessels are often only able to sail part-loaded, with extra surcharges increasing costs for cargo owners. Loads must be spread among several vessels sailing partly loaded, creating unwelcome extra expense for German industry.
"Under the current extremely severe conditions, the cargo-carrying capacity of vessels is significantly restricted," said a spokesperson for German inland shipping company HGK Shipping.
"The vessels currently able to operate can transport only around 20 per cent of the tonnage that would normally be possible. The actual loading capacity varies depending on local water levels along the Rhine."
Some push-tow barge combinations, known as coupled convoys, are no longer able to navigate the southern Rhine, she said.
The cost of tanker barge transport from Rotterdam to Karlsruhe is now about €160 to €165 ($184.6 to $190.4) a tonne, up from €45 at the end of June, commodity traders said.
Industry faces a heavy rise in costs, with industrial customers seeking alternative road and rail transport, but with cargo still generally arriving, the traders said.
Germany’s transport minister has called a meeting on Thursday to consider what short-term help can be provided to industry and shipping.
The Rhine is an important shipping route for commodities such as grains, minerals, ores, coal and oil products, including petrol.
(Reporting by Michael Hogan in Hamburg Editing by David Goodman)