After many weeks of dry and hot weather, the water level in the Rhine dropped below the previous record low recorded in autumn 2018.
On Thursday, German Transport Minister Steffen Bilger scheduled an emergency meeting with port authorities, transport companies and representatives of industries dependent on water transportation.
The width of the Rhine in Kauba, near the Lorelei Rock, is now less than 25 centimeters and is likely to decrease further. This place serves as a landmark, since there is a particularly shallow navigable section here — 1.90 meters.
Germany's largest waterway for commercial shipping is already affecting industries that are already under pressure due to the unfavorable economic environment. In the steel industry, the transportation of scrap metal is particularly difficult, and three recycling associations have already complained to the authorities. According to Kallanish, a logistics expert at the BVSE Waste processors Association, the vessels
andCurrently, only a third of the usual cargo can be transported, which triples the cost of transportation on small vessels. He gives an example of an export shipment of scrap metal from Frankfurt to Rotterdam, which usually costs about 10 euros per ton ($11.55 per ton), but now costs more than 30 euros per ton.
For most participants in the steel supply chain, the disadvantages of river freight transport cannot be fully compensated by rail or road transport. Nevertheless, the regional organization representing the factories in Saarland demanded that the ban on truck traffic on Sundays be temporarily lifted. This proposal was also supported by the Minister of Transport Bilger.
ArcelorMittal also depends on water transport on the Rhine and Ruhr in Duisburg, as well as in Bremen on the Weser and in Eisenhüttenstadt on the Oder. According to the statement, the company adjusted production at the Duisburg plant due to supply disruptions. However, the group claims that the situation can be controlled and supplies to factories and consumers remain reliable.
Author: Christian Kel Germany