Rhine crisis shows signs of respite with water set to rise

Water levels on the Rhine are set to rise over the weekend, potentially providing respite to a crisis that has snarled the shipment of energy products and other goods along one of Europe’s most important rivers.

The marker at Kaub, a narrow and shallow waypoint west of Frankfurt, is set to rise to 67 centimeters (26.4 inches) by Aug. 22, German government data show. The compares with a current level of about 38 centimeters.

The level is not the actual depth of the water -- which can be several feet deeper -- but rather a measure of navigability. At 40 centimeters or below, many barges find it uneconomic to transit that stretch of the waterway.

To be sure, the crisis is far from over, and some vessels are continuing to restrict loads. The low water, the result of hot and dry weather, is exacerbating a historic energy-supply crunch that is fanning inflation across Europe and threatening to tip some of the region’s largest economies into recession. 

Energy prices in the region and barge rates along the river remain near record highs. Rain is forecast in Germany in the coming days. However, temperatures in the country are set to climb next week, according to forecaster Maxar Technologies Inc.

“Within the next few days, the water levels will rise again in the entire Rhine catchment area due to the announced precipitation,” the Rhine Waterways and Shipping Authority, known as the WSA, said in a statement, referring to the middle and lower parts of the river. 

“The 14-day forecast further suggests that water levels will rise by about 50 centimeters by the end of next week, but will subside after the wave has passed,” it added. 

Even after the weekend, the marker at Kaub is set to be far below the five-year average of about 1.7 meters. 

Separately, the Rhine is now open in both directions after a barge that suffered a fault on Wednesday was towed away, a spokesman for the WSA said. The incident, which wasn’t related to low water, temporarily blocked traffic between St. Goar and Oberwesel, near Kaub.