- The level of the Rhine in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate continues to fall.
- In the village of Kaub in North Rhine-Westphalia, according to the waterways and shipping administration, it was 42 centimeters in the morning and thus around 5 centimeters lower than at the same time the previous day.
- According to the authority’s forecast, the 40 centimeter mark could fall on Friday.
The depth of the fairway, which is decisive for shipping, was only 1.59 meters on Thursday – lower than in any other section of the Middle and Lower Rhine. That is why Kaub in the Rhein-Lahn district is considered an important point for inland navigation on the Rhine.
Rhine shipping on the verge of a standstill
Cargo and passenger ships in particular have been struggling with the low water for weeks. Inland waterway skippers must take the draft of the ship into account when loading their cargo. When the water levels are low, they can carry less cargo – and at some point the transport becomes uneconomical.
Legend:
Low level of the Rhine near Düsseldorf (08/11/22)
Keystone/DPA/Federico Gambarini
The German Federal Institute for Hydrology (BfG) recently declared that up to a water level of around 30 to 35 centimeters at the Kaub gauge, shallow inland waterway vessels could still pass the Middle Rhine route. However, forecasts assume water levels in the direction of 30 centimeters by the beginning of next week at the Kaub level. Then the shipping on the Rhine in this area “tends to come to a standstill”, it was said.