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Rhine low water keeps European river cargo capacity below normal
Kaub’s gauge has recovered from a mid-August low below 10 cm to about 45 cm, but that is still far short of the 77 cm benchmark, leaving freight costs higher and supply uneven.
Europe’s Rhine low-water crisis is easing only superficially, with barge traffic still unable to operate at normal volumes through key stretches that connect the Amsterdam Rotterdam Antwerp hub with industrial demand farther south, OilPrice reports.
The article cites Kaub on the Middle Rhine as the critical chokepoint, where the water level gauge fell below 10 cm in mid-August, leaving the waterway about 1.2 meters deep, compared with roughly 2.3 meters a year earlier.
While the level has since risen to around 45 cm, OilPrice says it remains well below the 77 cm benchmark for typical commercial navigation, meaning only low-draft barges can cross at the lowest levels.
According to OilPrice, the constrained waterway capacity is already translating into expensive freight, constrained chemical production, and uneven fuel supply, and it highlights that Europe cannot quickly replace the Rhine’s role with pipelines, railways, or roads during disruptions.