HAMBURG, July 15 (Reuters) – The river Rhine is set to rise slightly from current low water levels after unexpectedly heavy rain in southern Germany, the inland navigation agency said on Wednesday.
• Shallow water after this summer’s heatwave and scarce rainfall means cargo vessels are only able to sail partly loaded on the river, increasing costs for cargo owners. Loads must be spread among several vessels, creating an unwelcome extra expense for the German sector that is showing signs of recovery.
• Heavy rain and thunderstorms in south-west Germany on Tuesday night and forecast for Wednesday are set to raise water levels at the chokepoint of Kaub near Karlsruhe.
• Inland navigation agency WSV forecast the water level at Kaub will rise from about 42 cm on Wednesday to around 68 cm on Saturday, enabling ships to take on greater loads.
• “The rain was unexpectedly heavy and will bring some relief this week,” a commodity trader said. “More rain is also forecast in river catchment areas over the weekend but this is again likely to bring more relief rather than solving the problem.”
• “Transport prices are rising sharply as so many more ships are needed to transport the usual freight volumes.”
• Vessels are often able to sail only 20% full or less, but sailing is continuing, he said.
• The cost of tanker barge transport from Rotterdam to Karlsruhe has risen to around €90-€100 ($102.81-$114.23) a ton from around €60-€70 at the start of this week and €45 at the end of June, traders said.
• The Rhine is an important shipping route for commodities such as grains, minerals, ores, coal and oil products, including petrol.
• German companies faced supply bottlenecks and production problems in 2022 after a drought and heatwave led to unusually low Rhine water levels.
($1 = 0.8754 euros)
(Reporting by Michael Hogan in Hamburg, Editing by Sonia Cheema)
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