/Agencia Reuters
Rainfall has raised the water level of the Rhine River in Germany, allowing ships to increase their cargo transport volume after a week of complications due to the low level of the waterway. However, commodity operators noted that it is still not possible to operate at full capacity.
The drought recorded in April and early May reduced the depth of the riverbed, forcing many vessels to operate at half capacity or even less.
The lack of draft forces operators to impose surcharges on freight rates to compensate for ships not sailing at full capacity, which raises costs for cargo owners.
Furthermore, this situation requires goods to be distributed among several vessels traveling with partial loads, further increasing logistics expenses.
Rainfall in recent days has raised water levels, allowing vessels to generally operate at between 60% and 70% capacity, according to operators.
Low draft continues to hinder transport in some northern sections, especially in the areas of Duisburg and Cologne, as well as at the critical point of Kaub.
Nevertheless, at Kaub, depth is expected to recover to levels allowing full loads by early next week, as water from recent rains drains into the riverbed.
The Rhine is a strategic waterway for transporting commodities such as grains, minerals, ores, chemicals, coal, and petroleum products, including heating fuel.
German companies already faced supply bottlenecks and production problems in the summer of 2022, when an extreme drought caused unusually low water levels in the river.
