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Extremely low water levels in rivers in Germany, including the Rhine, Elbe and Danube, are causing disruptions in freight transport, making it difficult to supply plants with raw materials and fuel.
Extremely low water levels in rivers in Germany, including the Rhine, Elbe and Danube, are causing disruptions in freight transportThe Rhine River is Europe’s most important commercial inland waterway. German industry alone transports approximately 200 million tons of goods annually, including fuel and raw materials, on the Rhine.
Numerous power plants and industrial plants in the heart of Germany deliver coal and raw materials for the production of chemicals precisely via the Rhine, which connects them to import terminals on the North Sea.
River vessels even deliver petroleum products to consumers in the country’s interior.
It’s still operable, but…”Inland waterway vessels can currently transport less cargo than in periods of higher water levels,” – Fabian Spiess, deputy director of the German Federal Association for Inland Navigation (BDB).
The Federal Waterways and Navigation Service (WSA) has not officially closed any waterways so far, so cargo is still being transported on German rivers, despite low water levels. Vessels carry cargo as long as safety is not compromised
Smaller capacities, higher prices
Low water levels cause problems in shipping cargo. Due to low water levels, vessels are now carrying significantly less cargo, and transportation prices have increased along the supply chain.
A lower utilisation rate means that more vessels are necessary to transport the same amount of cargo, and during times when the water levels are low on the
Original Record.
This archived record authored by ‘Nedim Sladic’ at ‘METEORED (Your Weather)’ was recovered from data set:
English