River Shipping News

Inland waterways freight shipping on the river Mosel in western Germany is back to normal with ships able to use a damaged lock for sailings in both directions on the river, navigation authorities said on Friday.Shipping was stopped on the river, an important transit route for grains and rapeseed between Germany and France, after an accident involving a passenger vessel last week damaged a lock at Sankt Aldegund between Koblenz and Trier.But the damaged lock is functioning, although more slowly than usual…

Dutch maritime solar innovator Wattlab has delivered a solar energy system for HGK Shipping’s inland shipping cargo vessel Blue Marlin. The vessel’s 192 solar panels will provide power to both the onboard and propulsion systems, making the Blue Marlin the first inland shipping vessel in the world capable of hybrid sailing with solar power. HGK Shipping is a European inland waterway shipping company operating a fleet of 350 vessels. With annual freight figures in the region of 43 million tons, HGK Shipping is considered to be a leading player in European dry bulk, gas and chemical transport.

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…

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

A CDS River Cruise 135 type cruise vessel, the Excellence Crown, to Swiss shipping company Twerenbold Reisen Group, which christened the vessel in May 2025 in Basel. The 135-m ship features hybrid propulsion and was designed and built by the Concordia Damen shipyard in Werkendam, the Netherlands. It is the tenth ship in the fleet of Swiss Excellence River Cruise, part of Twerenbold, and the first to feature hybrid propulsion.The vessel is equipped with a diesel-electric propulsion system with smart peak shaving – a system that stores surplus energy in batteries for later use…

On May 7, 2025, the first in a groundbreaking fleet of 3,000-ton deadweight hopper barges, designed by Robert Allan Ltd., was officially launched at Juruá Shipyard in Manaus, Brazil. The event marked a milestone in LHG Mining’s river transportation initiative in South America.This inaugural barge is part of a 400-unit fleet commissioned by LHG Mining to enable the efficient, sustainable transport of high-grade iron ore from Corumbá, Brazil, to export terminals in Uruguay. The cargo will travel over 2…

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…

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…

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…

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.

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

Low water levels after recent dry weather are preventing cargo vessels from sailing fully loaded on the Rhine river in Germany with surcharges added to the usual freight rates, commodity traders said on Thursday.Low water is hampering shipping on most of the river south of Duisburg and Cologne, including the chokepoint of Kaub, traders said.Some vessels can only transit Kaub about 50% full, depending on ship type, they said.Shallow water means vessel operators impose surcharges on freight rates to compensate for vessels not sailing fully loaded, increasing costs for cargo owners.

Ukrainian railways have partially restricted cargo shipments to Ukraine's major Danube River port Izmail, which has been the target of Russian drone attacks in recent weeks, the railways said on Monday.The restrictions began on Sunday, the railways said in a statement.Russia has attacked Ukrainian ports on the Danube River with drones two nights in a row. The latest attack on the Danube River port of Izmail, in Ukraine's southern Odesa region, hit warehouses and production buildings…

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.

Heavy rain has raised water levels on the Rhine in Germany, but the river is still too shallow in central northern areas for cargo vessels to sail fully loaded, commodity traders said on Wednesday.The river is a major western European shipping route for commodities including grains, minerals, coal and oil products. Dry weather in June meant it became too shallow for vessels to sail fully loaded and operators imposed surcharges on freight rates to compensate for ships sailing partly empty…

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…

Romania said on Monday it was concerned by signs that neighboring Ukraine was dredging a canal that sliced through a shared, ecologically sensitive coastal region, and asked if it could check the site.Ukraine has been transporting grain on the Bystroe canal as it develops alternative routes for its exports while access to its Black Sea ports is limited by Russia's invasion.Romania has said it is concerned that any works on the waterway through the shared Danube Delta area could…

Numerous barges have run aground on the lower Mississippi River, and grain barge shipping rates are soaring to historic highs this week, as drought has dropped inland waterways to levels not seen in decades.And with little rain in the forecast, the low water levels are hampering already sluggish grain exports at the U.S. Gulf Coast, where some 60% of U.S. corn, soybean and wheat exports exit the country.The logistical snarls come as the Midwest harvest progresses and the busiest crop export season starts…

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…

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…

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.

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…

Harland & Wolff said Wednesday it had won an initial contract worth around £8.5 million (around $10,7 million) with Cory for the fabrication of eleven barges. Cory, a UK-based waste management and recycling company, will use the barges to transport London’s recyclable and non-recyclable waste on the River Thames. Harland & Wolff will build the barges at its Belfast site, with first steel being cut within approximately eight weeks’ time. The program schedule allows for four barges to be built in tandem, with the entire build program ending around mid-2023.