Although Europe's most important waterway, the Rhine, is usually at its lowest point between August and November, the current water level is low enough to affect trade activities.

Germany's summer may officially begin in only two weeks, but the Rhine has begun to dry up.

government data show that the measured water level in the key section of the Rhine River Kaub was 1.43 meters last Friday afternoon, and the water level is expected to drop by another 16 centimeters by early Tuesday morning. Although far from the nadir last August, this is still well below seasonal norms. The lowest point last August was around 30cm, causing widespread damage.

According to Riverlake broker Mitchell van der Hoeven, any barge planning to carry diesel fuel near the port of Kaub will only be able to carry 60 percent of its maximum carrying capacity, which could limit supply to upstream importing countries, including Switzerland.

snaking hundreds of miles from the Alps to the North Sea, the Rhine is used to transport millions of tons of petroleum products and other vital commodities, including gravel, coal and iron ore, across Europe. Last year, the water level was too low, causing serious trade disruptions, seriously affecting oil refining, power generation and other industries.

"I expect the situation after August this year to be worse than last year," van der Hoeven said.

In August last year, due to extreme weather, the water level of the Rhine River in key sections has dropped to extremely low levels. Local barge operators imposed cargo loading restrictions on Rhine barges and imposed barge surcharges of up to 800 US dollars/FEU.

Later with the Rhine water level further decline, barge capacity of only 20-30%, Germany and Europe inland other important artery Rhine transport seriously blocked.

It is understood that this year, on the river by barge transport fuel prices have soared, the current southwestern German Karlsruhe and the Netherlands between the transport costs close to five years average twice.

"In the last week of June, we expect some rain, which may stop the water level's downward trend, at least temporarily," German Federal Hydrological Institute forecaster Dennis Meissner said.

He predicted that at least by the end of July there will be no "critical flow conditions".

He said the Rhine is usually at its lowest level between August and November, adding that the outlook is uncertain and depends on summer rainfall and temperature levels.

Rhine River

Rhine

The Rhine River is 1232 kilometers long, is Western Europe's largest river, but also the world's most important industrial transport arteries, the Rhine River shipping is very convenient, is the world's busiest river shipping one.

The Rhine originates in the Swiss territory of the Alps in the north, northwest through Liechtenstein, Austria, France, Germany and the Netherlands, and finally in Rotterdam near the North Sea.

Since the Congress of Vienna in 1815, it has become an international shipping waterway, with a navigable length of about 869 kilometers (540 miles), as far as Rheinfelden (Rheinfelden) on the Swiss-German border. The drainage area (including the delta) is over 0000 square kilometers (85,000 square miles).

Source: one shipping