Rhine water levels fall to new lows, some ship sailings halted

The Rhine river in Germany has dropped to its lowest levels in recent memory due to a heatwave and scarce rainfall, forcing ship owners to halt sailings in some areas, according to the country's inland navigation agency. The navigable water depth at the Kaub chokepoint near Koblenz fell to just 15 centimeters on Tuesday, which is below the previous low of 25 centimeters seen in 2018.

This unprecedented drop means that cargo vessel owners are often forced to stop sailings on southern river sections. Commercial sailings through Kaub have effectively come to a halt, making it impossible to book cargo shipments on the Rhine past Kaub today, said one commodity trader. Some vessels south of Kaub may be trapped due to insufficient water depth.

There is no specific rule on when sailings at Kaub should cease because of low water levels, so a few empty vessels might still attempt to sail through, but most have already stopped. The shallow water situation after this summer's heatwave and lack of rainfall means cargo vessels can only sail at 20% capacity, raising costs for cargo owners.

They are forced to spread their loads among several vessels sailing with partial loads, which also increases expenses. While sailings on northern sections of the river continue, river shippers warned on Monday that low water at Kaub could lead to the suspension of commercial shipping this week. Large quantities of freight are being transferred to road transport, and some German authorities have relaxed weekend bans on truck driving.

Analysts have cautioned that record low water on the Rhine could hinder German economic growth, especially as the river is starting to show signs of recovery. Germany, like much of Europe, has faced several heatwaves with minimal rainfall this summer, resulting in low water levels on waterways like the Rhine, a crucial shipping route for grains, minerals, coal, and refined oil products.