Low Water Hampers Rhine Shipping

Low levels currently provide restrictions, especially on the Upper and Middle Rhine.

The water level in the Rhine and Meuse has dropped drastically. There has been hardly any rain lately and the melting snow flows from the Alps are barely getting going. Where the average flow in the Rhine around this time is 2600 cubic meters of water per second, it is now between 1200 and 1300 cubic meters, according to Rijkswaterstaat. In the Meuse, the average has dropped from 400m3/s to a discharge of approximately 120m3/s.

The Rhine is facing a navigation crisis due to exceptionally low water levels, affecting inland transport. Loading restrictions impact the supply of raw materials, threatening industrial production. In Worms and Kaub, water levels are well below expectations. To address this, companies like BASF are exploring innovative solutions, such as using adapted vessels, in order to adapt to fluctuations in water levels linked to climate change. An Acute …

The Rhine level is currently low - and this affects shipping, among other things. There are first impacts, especially on the Lower Rhine.

Low Water Hampers Rhine Shipping

Low water levels after recent dry weather are preventing cargo vessels from sailing fully loaded on the Rhine River in Germany with surcharges added to the usual freight rates, commodity traders said on Tuesday.Low water is hampering shipping on all of the river south of Duisburg and Cologne…

According to experts, the low water level of the Rhine could significantly impact shipping and lead to production losses for German industry. "If the water level at Kaub falls below the critical level of 78 centimeters for an extended period, supplies will become scarce for some factories and they will be able to produce less," Commerzbank chief economist Jörg Krämer told Bild (Tuesday edition). "This effect will have a measurable impact on over…