Despite the ongoing drought, the chairman of the German Directorate for Waterways and Shipping, Hans-Heinrich Witte, does not expect shipping traffic on the Rhine to be shut down. “That is theoretically possible, but I do not consider it likely,” he says in the newspaper ‘Frankfurter Allgemeinen Sonntagszeitung’.
Due to the low water levels on the Rhine, shipping traffic can transport much less freight. “That means that the cargo space on the ships is limited,” said the chairman. “Then there will have to be more transport by road and rail.”
Alarming low
The Rhine, one of the longest rivers in Europe and a lifeline for the economy, has been suffering from extreme drought for weeks. The water level is alarmingly low, especially near Kaub, between Koblenz and Mainz.
The level also fell further on Friday, with 5 centimeters to only 42 centimeters on the Kaub meter. The actual depth may differ slightly from this.
33 centimeters
Earlier this week it was warned that many cargo ships would no longer be able to sail there from today/Friday and that new restrictions might apply.
The German Institute of Hydrology (BfG) recently stated that barges can still pass the Middle Rhine route up to a water level of about 30 to 35 centimeters on the Kaub meter. Forecasts for early next week are based on water levels up to 33 centimeters.
The question is whether it is still profitable for inland vessels to sail there. Shipping traffic on the Rhine is especially important for the transport of coal and oil products.
Precautions
Several companies have already taken precautions in recent weeks. Chemical giant BASF, for example, now transports more goods by rail and also ordered barges with less draft.
There is currently no impact on the operation of the company, but it cannot be ruled out that production in some factories will decrease in the coming weeks.
Power production limitation
Power producer Uniper said on Thursday that it is unable to supply enough coal by train to run at full capacity for an extended period of time. Production at the Staudinger-5 power station therefore threatens to be limited from September. The power station is located 30 kilometers from Frankfurt.
Steel giant Thyssenkrupp says its crisis team meets daily to discuss the issue. The company is also already using vessels with a shallower draft, so that the site in Duisburg can continue to be supplied.
See also: rivers historically low due to persistent drought
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