Ships Load More Freight as Rhine Water Levels Rise

The river Rhine in Germany has risen sharply after recent rain, the country’s inland navigation agency said on Monday, with vessels able to load more freight although problems with shallow water persisted.

German companies reported disruptions after Rhine water levels hit record lows earlier in August following a heatwave in western Europe, with industry suffering higher transport costs, logistics bottlenecks and curbed production.

“Vessels are still only able to sail partly loaded on the river but are able to take on more freight,” one commodity trader said. “More rain is forecast around the river this week which could bring more improvements.”

Inland navigation agency WSV said the navigable water gauge at the chokepoint of Kaub near Koblenz was around 60 centimetres on Monday, after falling to around five last week, below the previous lowest recorded level of 25 centimetres in 2018. The navigable gauge normally required at Kaub to fully load vessels is about 1.50 metres.

Many ships had stopped sailing past Kaub because of shallow water in mid-August. Some are resuming sailings through Kaub although with small loads of 700-800 tonnes depending on vessel type, commodity traders said.

Sailings on northern sections of the river continue with loads spread among several vessels sailing part loaded, increasing costs for industry, while much freight has also been switched to land transport.

Germany, like much of Europe, has experienced successive heatwaves with little rainfall this summer, leading to low water levels on waterways like the Rhine, an important shipping route for grains, minerals, coal and refined oil products.