Rhine water in Germany falls again, ships only part-loaded

Audio By Carbonatix

HAMBURG (Reuters) – Water levels on the Rhine in Germany have fallen again after recent dry weather and cargo vessels cannot sail fully loaded, commodity traders said on Monday.

Shallow water continues to hinder shipping on most of the river in Germany including Duisburg, Cologne and the chokepoint of Kaub.

But weekend showers in some river catchment areas and rain forecast this week are expected to raise water levels, they said.

Shallow water means vessel operators impose surcharges on freight rates to compensate for vessels not being able to sail fully loaded, increasing costs for cargo owners.

The Rhine is an important shipping route for commodities such as grains, minerals, ores, chemicals, ores, coal and oil products, including heating oil.

German companies faced supply bottlenecks and production problems in summer 2022 after a drought and heat-wave led to unusually low water levels on the river.

But repeated rain this summer kept Rhine water levels high, enabling shipping to mostly operate normally until late August.

(Reporting by Michael Hogan; Editing by Ros Russell)