Rain brings most of Rhine river back to normal levels

Rain has raised water levels on the river Rhine in Germany, with much of the river around normal levels, allowing cargo vessels to sail with full loads, commodity traders said on Monday.

Dry weather and a heatwave in June and July meant the river became too shallow for vessels to sail fully loaded. Ship operators imposed surcharges on freight rates to compensate for vessels sailing partly empty, increasing costs for cargo owners.

Shallow water continues to hinder shipping on some northern river sections, including around Duisburg and Cologne. But the picture has improved and vessels are able to sail about 70 per cent full in Cologne and 90 per cent full in Duisburg.

More rain is forecast in the coming days, which traders said could raise water levels enough to allow ships to sail fully loaded later this week.

The impact of a recent heatwave had been stronger than expected, drying fields that drain into smaller streams and rivers feeding into the Rhine.

The Rhine is an important shipping route for commodities such as grains, minerals, ores, chemicals, coal and oil products, including heating oil.

German companies faced supply bottlenecks and production problems in summer 2022 after a drought led to unusually low water levels on the river.

(Reporting by Michael Hogan Editing by David Goodman)