Rhine News

Water levels on the Rhine River, one of Europe's busiest shipping arteries, have slightly risen this week, official data showed on Wednesday, but remain near record lows, hampering transport and production.The water level gauge at the chokepoint of Kaub near the city of Koblenz rose to 14cm (5.5 inches) on Wednesday morning, inland navigation agency WSV data showed, after 5cm earlier this week.The river is about one metre deeper than the gauge, which has been traditionally used as an indicator to measure local levels.As a rule of thumb, if the Kaub gauge falls below 78cm for 30 straight days,

The river Rhine in Germany has fallen to new lows, stranding cargo vessels, the country’s inland navigation agency said on Wednesday, as Europe has entered another heatwave.German companies report growing disruption from Rhine water levels that have hit a series of record lows.Chemical producers, utilities, steelmakers and agricultural traders have warned of higher costs, transport bottlenecks and curbed production.Inland navigation agency WSV said the navigable water depth at the chokepoint of Kaub near Koblenz was 12 centimetres (4.72 inches) on Wednesday…

German companies are reporting growing disruption from Rhine water levels that have hit record lows, with chemical producers, utilities, steelmakers and agricultural traders warning of higher costs, transport bottlenecks and curbed production.While Germany has not yet suffered the widespread production outages experienced during previous Rhine crises, traders said on Tuesday that it was no longer possible to book some cargo shipments after weeks of drought and companies are increasingly reporting operational issues.Chemicals company Covestro said the lack of transport capacity could not be off

Low water levels risk halting cargo traffic on a key stretch of the Rhine this week, effectively splitting the critical waterway into two separate zones, the federal association of German inland shipping (BDB) said on Monday.BDB managing director Jens Schwanen told the Rheinische Post newspaper water levels at Germany's Kaub gauging station, a major bottleneck for Rhine navigation, were forecast to drop into single digits for the first time due to lack of rainfall.Kaub lies south…

Record low water levels in Europe's major rivers have curtailed the transport of goods, reduced electricity output and shrunk company earnings, stoking fears about the economic impact of searing heat and erratic rainfall.As Europe experiences the fastest warming of any continent and record-breaking heatwaves, drought has exposed the need to reconsider business practices.From the bustling port of Rotterdam to hydropower plants in Serbia, waterways have become a less reliable way to transport goods such as grains and oil…

OCIMF and the Central Commission for the Navigation of the Rhine (CCNR) published the second edition, updated July 2026, of the International Safety Guide for Inland Navigation Tank-barges and Terminals (ISGINTT), making the industry reference guide available simultaneously in English, French, German, Dutch and Portuguese.ISGINTT provides recommendations for the safe handling and transport of crude oils, petroleum products, chemicals and liquefied gases as well as guidance on the interface between inland tank-barges and other vessels or terminals.

Thyssenkrupp Steel has suspended shipping of raw materials to the western German city of Duisburg with its own vessels due to low water levels on the Rhine river, the company said on Tuesday.Thyssenkrupp Steel transports about 50,000 tons of iron ore and coal per day roughly 240 kilometres (149 miles) up the Rhine from Rotterdam to its Duisburg steel mill.Commodity traders said already on Monday that low water levels during the current heatwave were preventing cargo vessels from sailing fully loaded on the Rhine…

Dutch shipyard Concordia Damen announced it has received a contract from TUI River Cruise for two CDS River Cruise 135 vessels. These cruisers are of in-house design and have been tailored to TUl's needs.TUI River Cruises' fleet is currently expanding from six to 10 ships, which will operate across Europe, the Rhine, Nile and the Douro. The two river cruisers that Concordia is constructing are designed for the UK market.These two newbuilds are constructed with methanol as a future fuel in mind. Each ship will contain 94 cabins for 188 guest capacity. Delivery is expected in 2028.

Dutch specialized shipbuilder Concordia Damen has delivered the Century Star to Century Cruises. The vessel is the first river cruise ship that the China-based cruise line has had built specifically for the European market and marks the start of a series of three sister ships. The Century Star will sail on the Danube from September 2026, with itineraries on the Rhine to follow at a later date.The vessel was built in collaboration with United Waterways, which assists Century Cruises in adapting to European operational standards, including regulations, safety management, crew and hospitality.

In Basel today, June 11, 2026, NEPTUN WERFT officially delivered the river cruise ships Viking Annar and Viking Fjolvar to Viking. The technical handover of the vessels by the project management had already taken place yesterday, June 10, in Lelystad in the Netherlands.At 135 meters, the Viking Annar is a vessel of the Longship series. It accommodates 190 passengers and 53 crew members and operates on the Rhine, Main, and Danube rivers. The first guests are scheduled to board in Amsterdam on June 22.The Viking Fjolvar is currently the last river cruise ship of the Seine series.

During the three-year period from March 2024 to February 2027, the Emsdetten-based companies BEN-Tec GmbH and H2 POWERCELL GmbH are working together with the Münster University of Applied Sciences to advance the use of environmentally friendly hydrogen technologies.As part of the "NRW Innovation Tour 2026" of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy of North Rhine-Westphalia, the BOOST research status was presented to the Deputy Prime Minister…

Steelpaint GmbH has reported strong growth in orders for corrosion protection coatings on Germany’s inland waterways, with a succession of new contracts awarded by local authorities and hydraulic engineering contractors throughout 2025.Among the raft of new projects is the work WSA Main is carrying out on the Main River at Viereth-Trunstadt. The Main is a major tributary of the Rhine forming one of Europe’s most important inland transport routes between the North Sea and the Black…

HGK Shipping celebrated the naming ceremony for the gas tanker, “GAS 96”, in Rotterdam on October 9, 2025. This is the third gas tanker that combines optimization for operations in shallow waters with a diesel-electric “future-fuel-ready” drive system for Europe’s largest inland waterway shipping company.The “GAS 96” will operate on the Rhine routes between Rotterdam, Antwerp and Cologne with immediate effect and transport gases that have been liquefied under pressure for the chemicals group, LyondellBasell (LYB).

An EU-funded project is helping accelerate the adoption of carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) technologies that transform carbon dioxide emissions into valuable resources such as fuels, chemicals, and construction materials.CCU is based on the principle of capturing carbon dioxide and reusing it in various forms, such as e-fuels created by combining captured CO2 with renewable hydrogen.The ECO2Fuel project is pioneering this approach by developing a 1MW low-temperature electrolyzer…

Repeated rain in past days has raised water levels on all of the river Rhine in Germany to normal levels allowing cargo vessels to sail with full loads, commodity traders said on Tuesday.Dry weather and a heatwave in June and July meant the river became too shallow for vessels to sail fully loaded.

Low water levels following a drought and heatwave in western Europe are hindering traffic on the Rhine river in Germany after weekend rain caused only a moderate rise in water levels, commodity traders said on Monday.Low water is hampering shipping all along the river south of Duisburg and Cologne, including the chokepoint of Kaub, and vessels are generally only able to sail about half full.Shallow water means vessel operators impose surcharges on freight rates to compensate for vessels not sailing fully loaded…

Unusually low water levels on the Danube River in Hungary are affecting shipping, agriculture, and local ecosystems along Europe's second-longest river, which is a major transport route across the continent.Temperatures peaked at 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) in Budapest this week as much of Europe baked in an early summer heatwave linked to the death of at least eight people.As a result of the low water levels, cargo ships must leave behind more than half of their cargo and can only operate at 30-40% capacity, Attila Bencsik, deputy president of the Hungarian Shipping Association

SCHOTTEL founder Josef Becker invented the fully steerable rudder propeller, an innovation that continues to shape the maritime industry today.Since its introduction, more than 17,000 SCHOTTEL RudderPropellers have been sold, powering a wide variety of vessels on nearly every major body of water around the globe. This year marks the 75th anniversary of this development.With the invention of the SCHOTTEL RudderPropeller (SRP) in 1950, ships could, for the first time, use the full power of their propulsion system for maneuvering.

Rain in past few days has raised Rhine river water levels in Germany, with vessels able to carry more cargo although most are still sailing around half full, commodity traders said on Thursday."Large volumes of rain have fallen in the Rhine region in past days and there has been an improvement in the low water problem," one trader said. "More rain is forecast and if it actually arrives, the parts of the Rhine could see a significant recovery next week, although water is still…

Low water levels after recent dry weather are preventing cargo vessels from sailing fully loaded on the Rhine river in Germany, with cargo owners facing higher transport costs, commodity traders said on Thursday (April 3).Extreme lack of rain in March and April means low water is hampering shipping on all the river south of Duisburg and Cologne, including the chokepoint of Kaub, with levels falling again this week, traders said.Shallow water means vessel operators impose surcharges on freight rates to compensate for vessels not sailing fully loaded, increasing costs for cargo owners.

Freight shipping costs on the Rhine river in Germany surged this week as water levels fell further, compelling vessels to sail less than half full, commodity traders said on Thursday.Freight deliveries were still taking place, with loads divided among more vessels, which increases costs for cargo owners. But rain is at last forecast for next week, which could raise river levels, they said.Prices for a tanker freighter sailing from Rotterdam to Karlsruhe rose to about 80 euros ($88.58) a tonne of cargo from 46 euros last week and 34 euros in late March…

Rain over the Easter weekend in Germany has raised Rhine river water levels, with vessels able to carry more cargo, though the river is still too shallow for normal sailings, commodity traders said on Tuesday.Extreme lack of rain in March and April resulted in low water levels hampering April shipping on all of the river south of Duisburg and Cologne, including the chokepoint of Kaub, traders said.In northern regions around Duisburg vessels were able to sail about 80% full, against only half full last week…

A heat wave in western Europe has lowered water levels on Germany's Rhine River, hampering shipping and raising freight costs for cargo owners due to additional surcharges as their vessels were unable to sail fully loaded, commodity traders said on Monday.Low water has limited shipping on all of the river south of Duisburg and Cologne, including the chokepoint of Kaub, traders said.At Kaub, cargo vessels could only sail about 50% full, at Duisburg and Cologne between 40-50% full.Shallow water leads vessel operators to impose surcharges on freight rates to compensate for the vessels being unabl