Low Water Levels Strain Inland Shipping on the Rhine, Elbe and Danube

Less Cargo, Higher Costs

At the Duisburg port Duisport, spokesperson Andreas Bartel confirmed the disruptions to daily operations. He also pointed to the long-term trend: „Der Klimawandel wird dazu führen, dass Phasen mit Niedrigwasser künftig häufiger auftreten können." This linked his remarks to a series of already documented drought years. The years 2003, 2018 and 2022 had each suffered from extreme low-water conditions and significantly impaired shipping.

Kaub as Critical Bottleneck

According to the BfG, a roughly 50-kilometer stretch is particularly critical, becoming a bottleneck during low water. If the gauge at Kaub falls below 40 centimeters, freight shipping is generally halted altogether. This threshold has not yet been reached across the board, but the situation is tense. Observers note that vessel traffic on the Rhine during low water can even be higher than under normal conditions, because more vessels are required to move the same volume of cargo.

Florian Krekel, head of the shipping department at the WSV, explained the limits of predictability: „Verlässliche Vorhersagen für die Wasserstände könnten nicht weiter blicken als die Wettervorhersagen, denn letztlich seien die Wasserstände nur eine Zusammenfassung der Niederschläge im jeweiligen Einzugsgebiet." As things stand, no lasting improvement is in sight in the coming weeks, since no significant rainfall is foreseeable in the catchment areas.

Rail as an Alternate Route

To keep traffic planning predictable, the Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration has been publishing new forecast data since 2018. At the same time, some shipments are being shifted to rail in order to secure supply chains. As reported, inland shipping as a whole remains robust, but must operate with reduced capacity.

The episode is reminiscent of the historic low of 2018, when the Rhine fell to just 25 centimeters at its gauge. Then as now, it shows how vulnerable German logistics is to prolonged dry spells. With every additional hot summer, the question of how ports, shipping companies and shippers can make their transport networks climate-resilient is likely to grow more pressing.

The outlook remains cautious. As long as no sustained soaking rain falls over the catchment areas of the Rhine, Elbe and Danube, inland shipping operators will have to cope with low gauges, reduced cargo and higher costs — and the economy along with them.