The low bed of Germany’s main river artery is already forcing to reduce freight traffic
The ongoing drought and unusually high temperatures recorded in Germany threaten to suspend river navigation, which is vital for the transport of goods and the supply of coal-fired power stations, putting the already precarious energy situation of the largest economy in the EU worsens. The situation is particularly critical on the Rhine, which crosses the country from south to north. In places, the width of Germany’s main river artery has been halved and its depth has dropped so much in recent weeks that it is possible to wade without going more than medium depth. The drop in water level is currently forcing the ships’ cargoes to be reduced to just 30% of what is usual in order to prevent them from seizing up and blocking the river.
At Kaub, halfway between Mainz and Koblenz and halfway Switzerland to the Netherlands, the Rhine is at a low point of less than half a meter. “According to the forecasts, we will approach a water level of only 30 centimeters at the beginning of next week. At that point, river navigation will inevitably have to stop,” said Bastian Klein, a scientist at the Federal Bureau of Hydrography (BfG), who noted that the navigable dredging path at that height is just over 1.5 meters and almost insufficient. has a 7,350 km river and canal network, much of which is threatened with closure, something that is already happening upstream on the Elbe from Hamburg.The transport of diesel for heating is especially affected, which could lead to a shortage in the autumn, when the temperature drops.
The German Confederation for River Navigation (BDB) emphasized that a large proportion of the 10,000 cargo ships sailing on European rivers, lakes and canals, 2,000 of which are under the German flag, are at anchor due to the problems the sector is registering due to the low water level. In Luxembourg and the neighboring German region of Trier, they are already struggling with a shortage of products and raw materials, which usually come in via the Moselle, a tributary of the Rhine. “We are not getting any more material,” complains Jürgen Helten, manager of the Luxport group, which trades in construction materials, fertilizers and metals in the port of Mertert. Difficulties for navigation have also tripled freight rates due to high demand and reduced supply and capacity.
Source: La Verdad
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