- Water levels at Kaub gauging station are forecast to drop into single digits for the first time, effectively splitting the Rhine into two navigable zones
- Commercial cargo, day trip and cruise shipping will cease on the Middle Rhine under these conditions
- Four German states relaxed trucking curbs over the weekend to address transport bottlenecks
- The Danube dropped to record low levels last week following successive heatwaves since May
- Europe has experienced record-breaking heat this summer as the fastest warming continent
The federal association of German inland shipping (BDB) has been monitoring the Rhine’s water levels with growing alarm as forecasts indicate the river at Kaub gauging station will drop into single digits for the first time on record.
BDB managing director Jens Schwanen has confirmed to the Rheinische Post newspaper that commercial cargo traffic on the Middle Rhine faces complete suspension when water levels reach such unprecedented lows. The Kaub gauging station, situated south of Koblenz at one of the shallowest sections of the waterway, represents the critical bottleneck where navigation becomes impossible below certain depth thresholds. Schwanen has explained that the Rhine effectively splits into two separate zones under these conditions, with shipping continuing between the ports of Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Antwerp and the northern German Rhine and west German canal network, while separate traffic operates on tributaries including the Main, Moselle and Neckar rivers and the Main-Danube Canal.
The impending disruption has already prompted regulatory action from Germany’s most populous state, North Rhine-Westphalia, along with Lower Saxony, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland, which relaxed trucking curbs over the weekend to ease transport bottlenecks caused by low water levels on rivers including the Rhine. Day trips and cruise shipping face the same restrictions as commercial cargo operations under the forecast conditions.
The current situation reflects the broader climatic pressures affecting European waterways, with the continent experiencing record-breaking heat throughout the summer months. Last week, the Danube, Europe’s second longest river, dropped to record low levels in parts following successive heatwaves that have parched the continent since May. Europe continues to register as the world’s fastest warming continent, with these extreme weather events becoming increasingly frequent.
The Rhine’s importance to European commerce cannot be overstated, with the waterway serving as a primary artery for transporting commodities including grain, chemicals, coal and oil products from the North Sea ports into the German industrial heartland and beyond into Switzerland. Low water levels at Kaub historically triggered significant disruptions, with the 2018 drought costing the German economy an estimated €5bn.
The current forecast of single-digit readings represents an unprecedented scenario that has not previously been recorded at the gauging station. Shipping operators have been preparing contingency plans, though the lack of alternative transport capacity on rail and road networks has exacerbated the potential economic impact. The situation has drawn attention to the vulnerability of Europe’s inland waterway infrastructure to climate change, with the Rhine’s navigation channel requiring constant dredging and maintenance to maintain minimum depths.
Jens Schwanen shared “Commercial shipping will no longer be able to transport goods in the region at such low water levels. In principle, the Rhine is then no longer navigable along its entire length and thus split in two.”
