Rhine Water Levels Drop Again, Pushing Up German Freight Costs
Falling Rhine water levels after a dry week are forcing part-loaded sailings and raising freight costs in Germany, with no major relief forecast.
Water levels on Germany's river Rhine have declined once more over the past week following dry weather, the country's inland navigation agency said on Monday, adding to freight costs for industry.
According to commodity traders, a lack of rain in the river's catchment areas has caused levels to drop again, leaving vessels able to sail only part-loaded. Repeated disruption to river shipping through the summer has also pushed much cargo onto road and railway transport.
The inland navigation agency WSV said the navigable water gauge at Kaub, a key chokepoint near Koblenz, stood at around 15 cm on Monday, down from 26 cm on Friday. In mid-August the gauge fell below 10 cm, under the previous lowest recorded level of 25 cm set in 2018. The river itself is about one metre deeper than the gauge reading.
German companies have contended with higher transport costs this summer because of the low water levels, alongside logistics bottlenecks and curbed production. Freight shipping costs are climbing as vessels carry smaller loads. The cost of tanker transport from Rotterdam to Karlsruhe rose to about €185–€190 ($212.31–$218.04) a metric ton on Monday, up from around €180 last week.
The WSV forecast no major improvement in river water levels over the coming week, though some rain expected could keep the river stable around current levels.
Germany is among the European countries that have faced successive heatwaves and limited rainfall this summer, depressing 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 such as petrol.