Low water levels following a drought and heatwave in western E
urope continued to hinder shipping across the Rhine river in Germany, c
ommodity traders sa
id on Wednesday, with rain in past days generating only a moderate rise in water levels.
Low water is hindering shipping on all the river south of Duisburg a
nd Cologne, including the chokepoint of Kaub. Vessels are generally onl
y able to sail about half full, although the volumes they can load have risen slightly, traders said.
But cargo is still being delivered, with loads being carried by several vessels instead of one, traders said.
Related: Rhine River’s Low Water Levels Provide ‘Further Evidence’ of Climate Change
Shallow water means vessel operators impose surcharges on freig
ht rates to compensate for vessels not sailing fully loaded, increasing costs for cargo owners.
Only moderate rainfall is forecast in the coming days in river catchm
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ent areas, so no major improvement is expected, traders said.
The Rhine is an important shipping route for commodities suc
h as grains, minerals, ores, coal and oil products, including heating oil.
German companies faced supply bottlenecks and production problems
s in summer 2022 after a drought and heat wave led to unusually low water levels on the Rhine.
(Reporting by Michael Hogan; editing by Jan Harvey)
Photograph: Cargo ships maneuver near the banks of Rhi
ne River on November 09, 2018 near Kaub in Germany. A
summer heat wave, no rain, and unfavorable wind conditions had left the Rh
ine River at record low water levels. (Photo by Maja Hitij/Getty Images)