August 7, 2026 11:37
Drought is reducing transport capacity on northern Europe’s main waterways, driving up costs and disrupting the continuity of industrial supplies, particularly in the chemical sector.
On 3 August, the Rhine gauge at Kaub stood at 28 centimetres at 1 pm, before falling to 24 centimetres the following day. On 5 August, the level reached a new low, dropping to 19 centimetres at 1 pm and 18 centimetres at 4.15 pm.
The gauge reading does not correspond to the river’s actual depth, but is one of the parameters used to calculate the available draught and, consequently, the load a vessel can carry.
At such low levels, some barges are operating at around 20% of capacity. According to estimates reported by operators, they were able to pass through the Kaub section carrying around 250 tonnes of cargo on 31 July; by 4 August, the load had fallen to approximately 220 tonnes.
The reduction in loads has pushed the cost of transport by tank barge from Rotterdam to Karlsruhe to around €150-160 per tonne, compared with €45 at the end of June. Transporting the same volumes requires more vessels and more trips, while road and rail capacity remains limited.
For some dangerous goods and products transported in large volumes, shifting cargo to road or rail can also be complicated by constraints on capacity, safety and vehicle availability. The decline in navigability is therefore having a particularly significant impact on the chemical supply chain.
The water crisis is not confined to Germany. In the Netherlands, Rijkswaterstaat has banned navigation through the Eefde locks since 25 July, cutting off access to the Twentekanaal, and has prohibited water abstraction for irrigation. The measure is intended to maintain the water level needed to ensure the stability of the banks and flood defence structures.
According to an estimate attributed to the Dutch association Transport en Logistiek Nederland (TLN), the closure of the waterway could generate additional demand equivalent to around 1,500 trucks per day. The shift of freight to road transport therefore risks increasing pressure on logistics corridors linking Rotterdam, the German market and central Europe.
© Polimerica - Reproduction prohibited, all rights reserved
