Drop in Rhine Water Levels Risks Higher Barge Rates
Rigzone · Rachel Graham ·
Water levels on the Rhine River are forecast to drop again in the coming days.
Water levels on the Rhine River are forecast to drop again in the coming days, threatening to push barge rates even higher and continuing to choke many deliveries of goods to and from Europe’s biggest port.
The cost of moving diesel and other fuels to Basel in Switzerland from the crucial port of Rotterdam has risen again so far this month, with a respite in October that stemmed from higher water levels proving short-lived. Switzerland was forced this week to release more supplies of jet fuel from reserves, partly blaming the low Rhine and rail service disruptions.
Water levels on the Rhine, a key transportation route connecting European factories with global markets, have hit record lows this year after drought and heat waves. That has for months restricted deliveries inland of goods from coal to grain, with the disruption lasting longer than a previous period of extreme dryness in 2022. Diverting cargoes to rail has also proven more problematic than usual because of maintenance on part of the network near the river.