Saxony-Anhalt's inland ports are recording a significant decline in goods

Saxony-Anhalt's inland ports have handled significantly fewer goods so far this year than in the same period last year.

According to the State Statistical Office in Halle, 2.9 million tons of goods were handled in the first half of the year - 12.7 percent less than in the same period last year. The freight volume was distributed roughly equally between the Elbe and the Mittelland Canal. A little more than half of the freight - around 55 percent - was shipped to other federal states, it said. The remaining freight concerned transports to or from foreign ports.

Port operator: Elbe navigable around 120 days a year

The reason for the decline in freight was the low river levels over the course of the year so far, said Jens Seyffert, port dispatcher at the Roßlau industrial port, to the German Press Agency. Shiploads of 1,000 tons or more have been the exception so far this year. “And yes, that is due to the water level of the Elbe,” says the logistician. At low tide, the ships would no longer be able to transport large enough loads to keep operations economical. On average, there are only 120 days a year of sufficiently good conditions for the Elbe ports, said Seyffert. “The Elbe is too difficult to navigate for us.”

In Saxony-Anhalt there have been ongoing political discussions about the pros and cons of further expansion of the Elbe for years. Port dispatcher Seyffert thinks a lot would have been done with new barrages: “This should have been done many, many years ago.”

Water levels in rivers remain low

Conservationists from the BUND and the Saxony-Anhalt Greens, on the other hand, see further expansion as a wrong move given the persistent drought and low water levels. They call for the focus to be placed on the renaturation of the Elbe and the promotion of tourism.

Meanwhile, Saxony-Anhalt's rivers are carrying only little water this week: According to the state office for flood protection, the flow rate of the Elbe is currently 25 to 35 percent of the long-term average. In smaller rivers such as the Mulde and the Black Elster it is sometimes only 10 to 15 percent. Last summer, the water level of the Elbe reached a new historic low due to persistent drought. In August, 37 centimeters were measured at the Magdeburg Strombrücke gauge - eight centimeters below the previous record from 2019.