Low water on the Rhine significantly affects shipping traffic

The extraordinarily low water levels on the Rhine make shipping traffic considerably more difficult. On the section of the Middle Rhine between St. Goar and Mainz, which is particularly affected by low water, “only a few freight ships are still on the move,” said Fabian Spieß, deputy managing director of the Federal Association of German Inland Shipping (BDB). There is a lack of abundant rainfall in the Rhine catchment area.

“Shipping continues to be available to its customers as a service provider; However, it can only be driven with significantly less load,” said Spieß. Shipping will continue as long as it is safe to do so. This is at the discretion of the ship's command. According to Spieß, the measures introduced last month, such as lifting bans on trucks on Sundays and public holidays, can partially stabilize the supply chains.

Below zero point in Kaub

The section between St. Goar and Mainz is considered the “bottleneck” of Rhine shipping. According to the BDB, the shipping channel is worse developed than upstream and downstream. The water level in Kaub temporarily fell below zero over the weekend and thus reached a historic low.

A low water record of 40 centimeters was also set in Cologne on Monday. According to the Waterways and Shipping Authority, shipping has declined sharply. The channel is deeper than the water level on the bank. In Cologne, for example, according to the office it is 1.11 meters more.

The Federal Institute of Hydrology and the Waterways and Shipping Administration expect water levels in Cologne to rise at the end of the week and in Kaub from next weekend.

The water levels on the Rhine had already fallen significantly in the first half of August. As a result, freight shipping collapsed. Freight ships could either no longer sail at all or could only sail empty. In the second half of August, water levels rose again due to rainfall.