Rhine river levels rise in Germany after rain, ships load more cargo

Rain has sharply raised water levels on the river Rhine in Germany, allowing ships to take on bigger loads and only northern sections of the river are still too shallow for cargo vessels to sail at full capacity, commodity traders said on Friday.

Dry weather and a heatwave in June and July meant the river became too shallow for vessels to sail fully loaded. Ship operators imposed surcharges on freight rates to compensate for vessels sailing partly empty, increasing costs for cargo owners.

The impact of the heatwave had been stronger than expected as fields which drain into smaller streams and rivers feeding into the Rhine were especially dry.

Shallow water levels continue to hinder shipping in northern sections of the river in Germany, including Duisburg and Cologne, but vessels can sail around 70% full, traders said.

The chokepoint of Kaub and southern sections of the river have returned to normal levels allowing vessels to sail fully loaded, they said.

More rain forecast in river catchment areas in coming days is expected to raise river levels close to normal, traders said.

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

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