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River Rhine News

29 Feb 2024

Germany Opens Remote-Controlled Center for Inland Shipping

© SEAFAR

SEAFAR, a Belgian technology and service provider for remote-controlled inland waterway shipping operations, has set up the first Remote Operations Center in Germany; a project completed in conjunction with HGK Shipping and Reederei Deymann.The Remote Operations Center, opened on February 28, 2024, enables captains to navigate vessels on inland waterways from dry land, a development seen as central to stemming problems from the shortage of specialist workers. The partners are working with the public authorities to use the permits…

05 Dec 2023

Management Change at German Dry Bulk Shipper

(from left to right) Pascal Rodius, Monique Hezel-Reyntjens, Florian Bleikamp.
Copyright: HGK Shipping GmbH

Monique Hezel-Reyntjens will retire effective December 31, 2023, having worked in and led what is now known as BeKa HGK GmbH for almost 42 years. Her parents, Franz Josef and Corrie Becker founded the dry shipping company in 1982. Monique Hezel-Reyntjenshas played a significant role in the success story at BeKa HGK; she worked in the chartering section from the outset and in the course of time became a shareholder and has been its managing director up to now. She will be succeeded by Florian Bleikamp (34)…

21 Nov 2023

River Rhine in South Germany Closed to Shipping, May Reopen Soon

© CL-Medien / Adobe Stock

Parts of the river Rhine in south Germany remained closed to shipping on Tuesday after heavy rain this month but falling water levels could lead to a reopening later on Tuesday, navigation authorities said.Rhine river shipping remains stopped around the chokepoint of Maxau in south Germany, the German inland waterways navigation agency WSA said.

16 Nov 2023

High Water Closes Parts of Rhine River in South Germany to Shipping

Maxau Rhine Bridges - Credit: waechter-media.de/AdobeStock

Parts of the river Rhine in Germany have been closed to shipping because of a rise in water levels following recent heavy rain, German authorities said on Thursday.Rhine river shipping has been stopped around Maxau in south Germany, the German inland waterways navigation agency WSA said.High water means vessels do not have enough space to sail under bridges, preventing vessels reaching Switzerland.Central and northern sections of the river are open to shipping.Water levels are forecast to fall, allowing shipping to resume later on Thursday or on Friday, said the water level forecasting service

18 Sep 2023

Shallow Water, No Problem: HGK Orders Gas Tanker with "Special Dimensions"

Technical drawing: a 3D ship’s drawing of the ‘GAS 96’. Source: HGK Shipping

Optimized to deal with shallow water levels, a diesel-electric drive system and an extra-wide design for the vessel are the main features of a gas tanker that HGK Shipping ordered from the Dutch shipyard, De Gerlien Van Tiem, on September 15, 2023. The latest addition to the fleet will enable the Duisburg, Germany inland shipping company to maximize cargo carriage even if water levels are low. “GAS 96” has been developed in close cooperation in line with the requirements of two large chemicals companies in the Netherlands and Germany.

02 Aug 2023

Rhine River Levels in Germany Back to Normal after Rain

Credit: diegograndi/AdobeStock

Heavy rain has raised water levels on the river Rhine in Germany to levels allowing cargo vessels to sail fully loaded, data from German inland waterways agency WSA said on Wednesday.Data from the WSA’s website Pegelonline showed that the last shallow sectors of the river around Cologne had now reached levels generally permitting full vessel loads.Dry weather in June meant the river became too shallow for vessels to sail fully loaded and ship operators imposed surcharges on freight rates to compensate for vessels sailing partly empty, increasing costs for cargo owners.

03 Jul 2023

Rain Raises Rhine River Water in Germany, North Still Too Shallow

© EdNurg / Adobe Stock

Water levels on the river Rhine in Germany have risen after rain but are still too low in northern and central areas for cargo vessels to sail fully loaded, commodity traders said on Monday.Dry weather in June meant the river became too shallow for vessels to sail fully loaded and vessel operators imposed surcharges on freight rates to compensate for vessels sailing partly empty, increasing costs for cargo owners.The Rhine is an important shipping route for commodities such as grains…

05 May 2023

HGK Shipping Holds Double Naming Ceremony for Chemical Tanker Duo

German company HGK Shipping on Thursday held a naming ceremony for two chemical tankers “Courage” and “Curiosity” on 4 May 2023.The chemical tankers have already been in service for the materials manufacturer, Covestro, on the river Rhine and its tributaries for several weeks. The hulls of the shallow-water vessels are 93 metres long and 10.5 meters wide. The two sister vessels are able to carry a load weighing 160 tonnes in a draught of just 1.00 meter and still be fully operational and maneuverable…

08 Mar 2023

Future-Fuel-Ready Courage Enters Service on the Rhine

 2 The low-water vessel, “COURAGE”, will supply Covestro’s customers with finished products from its business sites in North Rhine-Westphalia from now on. Copyright: Covestro Deutschland AG, Michael Rennertz

Following a successful initial loading operation and maiden voyage on the river Rhine, Covestro and HGK Shipping GmbH officially put into service the new low-water vessel called 'Courage' at the beginning of March. Designed 'future-fuel-ready', It is designed to supply the material manufacturer’s customers with finished products from the company’s business sites in North Rhine-Westphalia. Sister vessel 'Curiosity' will be delivered in a few weeks.The two low-water vessels sport a particularly efficient diesel-electric drive system…

29 Sep 2022

Rain Lifts Rhine Water Levels, Helps Cool Off Cargo Rates

© Fokke Baarssen / Adobe Stock

Water levels on the river Rhine in Germany have risen sharply after rain this week, approaching normal levels and helping cool off cargo shipping rates, vessel brokers and commodity traders said on Thursday.Prices for cargo shipping are falling as vessels are able to load more freight, they said.Spot prices for a liquid tanker barge from Rotterdam to Karlsruhe south of Kaub were at about 55 euros a tonne on Thursday, down from about 68 euros last week and peaks of about 118 in August…

23 Sep 2022

Depleted Rhine Water Level in Germany Holds Above Crisis Lows

© EdNurg / Adobe Stock

Water depths on the river Rhine in Germany have fallen after dry weather this week but remain well above the crisis lows of this summer, vessel brokers and commodity traders said on Friday.Rain is expected in south German river catchment areas over the weekend and next week, which is expected to raise water levels again, they said.Weeks of high temperatures and scant rainfall in August had reduced the commercial artery's water levels, causing delays to shipping and pushing up freight costs. There were fears disruption could even hit overall German economic growth.

24 Aug 2022

Relief as Rhine Water Rises in Germany, But Expected to Drop again

By CL-Medien/AdobeStock

Water levels on the river Rhine in Germany have risen after recent rain but are expected to fall again with mostly dry weather forecast in the coming days, ship operators said on Wednesday.Weeks of high temperatures and scant rainfall drained water levels in the river, a major German commercial transport artery, causing delays to shipping and pushing freight costs up. The disruption could knock half a percentage point off economic growth in Germany this year. Shallow water compelled some freight vessels to sail only about 25% full in August…

17 Aug 2022

Rhine Traffic Further Hindered After Vessel's Engine Failure

© alfotokunst / Adobe Stock

Around 20 ships are stuck in traffic along Germany's river Rhine, where low water levels have already impeded shipping this summer, after a vessel's engine failure closed part of the waterway, authorities said on Wednesday.A vessel with a 1,660-ton load was forced to drop anchor due to an engine failure, closing traffic between St Goar and Oberwesel, river police said."It's backing up," a spokesperson for the Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration told Reuters. "The berths are full all the way to Mainz." Mainz is about 50 kilometres south-east of Oberwesel.Downstream was affected more.

12 Aug 2022

Shipping Disruption Continues as Rhine Water Levels Drop Again in Germany

Credit: Björn Wylezich/AdobeStock

Water levels on the river Rhine in Germany have fallen again in dry weather on Friday, with some vessels no longer able to sail, shipping operators and brokers said.Rhine cargo shipping continues, but with vessels sometimes forced to sail three-quarters empty with cargo owners often needing to pay for four vessels to transport their loads instead of one.Economists estimate Rhine disruption could knock half a percentage point off Germany's economic growth this year. The reference waterline level at the chokepoint of Kaub near Koblenz was at 42 centimetres on Friday…

08 Aug 2022

River Rhine Level in Germany Drops Further, Ships Only Part-loaded

Rhine river in Cologne - Photo by Bartolomej Tomić (File Photo)

Water levels on the Rhine in Germany fell again during hot dry weather over the weekend and cargo vessels cannot sail fully loaded, vessel brokers and commodity traders said on Monday.Shallow water is causing problems for shipping on the entire river in Germany. The Rhine is one of the key channels linking Germany's industrial heartlands with the North Sea ports from which products are exported to world markets.Freight shipping on the river continues, but with vessels sometimes forced to sail three-quarters empty.

21 Jul 2022

Rain Helps Rhine River in Germany But Shipping Problems Remain

Panorama of a cargo ship on the river Rhine near Koblenz, Germany
©venemama/AdobeStock

Heavy rain is helping stabilize the river Rhine in Germany as it suffers low water levels, but it is unlikely to be enough to solve freight shipping problems, navigation authorities said on Thursday.Shallow water is hampering shipping on the entire river in Germany south of Duisburg, and freight shipping on the river continues but with vessels carrying greatly reduced loads, said a spokesman for German inland waterways navigation agency WSA.A slight increase in water levels is…

22 Mar 2022

Low Water Hampers Rhine River Shipping in Germany

Rhine river in Cologne - Photo by Bartolomej Tomić (File Photo)

Low water after recent dry weather continues to prevent cargo vessels from sailing fully loaded on the river Rhine in Germany, traders said on Monday.Low water is hampering shipping in much of the river in Germany south of Duisburg and Cologne to southern regions around Maxau, traders said.Shallow water means vessel operators impose surcharges on freight rates, increasing costs for cargo owners.The Rhine is an important shipping route for commodities including grains, minerals, coal and oil products including heating oil.(Reuters - Reporting by Michael Hogan Editing by Mark Potter)

14 Dec 2020

Low Water Hindering Rhine River Shipping

© kathomenden / Adobe Stock

Low water after dry weather in past weeks continues to prevent cargo vessels from sailing fully loaded on the river Rhine in Germany, traders said on Monday.Low water is hampering shipping in the northern and central sections of the river, especially around Cologne and Kaub, traders said. But recent rain has returned some southern sections to normal levels.Shallow water means vessel operators impose surcharges on freight rates, increasing costs for cargo owners.The Rhine is an important shipping route for commodities including grains, minerals, coal and oil products including heating oil.

29 Apr 2020

Ineos Adds New Gas Barges for Rhine Shipping

(Photo: Ineos)

UK-based chemicals company Ineos said Wednesday it has accepted delivery of three of four new gas barges that will be used to transport butane gas from the ARA region (Antwerp, Rotterdam, Amsterdam) to the Ineos ethylene cracker facility at Koln, Germany. In addition, they will provide INEOS Trading & Shipping with options to effectively trade butane in Europe.The new gas barges will become the largest operating on the River Rhine and are the first to be fully built to the new ADN gas barge 2019 standard.Hugh Carmichael…

16 Apr 2020

Interview: Dr. Dirk Jürgens, Heads of R&D, Voith Turbo Marine

The Voith Schneider Propeller is ideal for autonomous and remote-controlled vessels because on the one hand the forces can be managed very logically (according to X/Y logic) and on the other hand it can allocate desired forces so quickly. Any sensor errors or errors in data processing can therefore best be compensated by the VSP. Together with partners, we have advanced the technology development to such an extent that remote-controlled tractors with VSP can be realized. Dr. Dirk Jürgens, Manage

Dr. Dirk Jürgens heads R&D at Voith Turbo Marine, a part of the family owned Voith conglomerate which employs more than 19,000 people in 60 countries. Voith Rudderpropellers were chosen as the propulsion system for the three new Staten Island Ferry vessels, and Dr. Jürgens discusses the evolution of the system.The ‘Voith’ name is a well-known one in the maritime industry, but to start please provide an overview of the product and service you offer to the maritime industry.The…

21 Jan 2021

Stolt Tankers Develops Unique Shallow-draft Tanker for BASF

(Image: Technolog)

Stolt Tankers said it has been commissioned by chemicals company BASF to help design and build a unique new tanker capable of operating when extremely low water levels hamper river shipping on the Rhine.The Rhine, which starts in Switzerland and flows through Germany and the Netherlands before emptying into the North Sea, is a key waterway for transportation in Europe. During dry weather, barges are often unable to fully load, increasing transport costs and delaying products.Stolt…

10 Dec 2020

Rhine Water Level Rises, Too Shallow in North for Full Shipping

© hansenn / Adobe Stock

Low water levels after dry weather in the past month continue to prevent cargo vessels from sailing fully loaded on the river Rhine in Germany, traders said on Thursday.Low water is hampering shipping throughout the river, especially around Cologne, traders said.Shallow water means vessel operators impose surcharges on freight rates, increasing costs for cargo owners.But rain is forecast in some river catchment areas in south Germany and Switzerland later this week which could help to raise water levels…

29 Jan 2019

Shipbuilding: New Diving Bell Ship for WSA

Diving bell ship Carl Straat (Photo: Damen)

WSA Koblenz (WasserSchiffahrtsAmbt) awarded Damen Shipyards Group a contract to build a new diving bell ship, a vessel which will succeed an existing vessel – the Carl Straat, which has been in operation since 1963. The new vessel, like her predecessor, will operate in the River Rhine and its tributaries."The new modern diving bell ship is a unique specimen," said Prof. Dr.-Ing. Hans-Heinrich Witte, President of the Directorate General for WSA Koblenz. "On the Rhine and its tributaries, this special vessel is needed to search for and recover lost cargo or wreckage.