Rhine water levels plunge to historic lows, disrupting shipping and threatening fuel supply

Water levels on the Rhine fell to unprecedented lows at multiple gauges over the weekend, breaking records set during the 2018 drought. The sudden drop has forced cargo vessels to carry reduced loads, suspended ferry services, and prompted warnings of possible fuel shortages in Germany.

Record lows across North Rhine-Westphalia

In Cologne, the gauge dropped to 67 cm on Saturday, two centimetres below the previous record from 23 October 2018. By Sunday midday it had edged back to 69 cm, but the Federal Institute of Hydrology expects the downward trend to continue. Duisburg-Ruhrort, home to Europe's largest inland port, recorded 150 cm on Sunday morning (three centimetres below the 2018 low), while Düsseldorf fell to 21 cm. Bonn had already set a new minimum of 81 cm on Friday. At Kaub, a narrow stretch critical for navigation, the level sank to 25 cm, a mark last seen in 2018.

Shipping and industry hit

Inland vessels can only use the deeper fairway and many are carrying reduced cargo. The Chamber of Commerce in North Rhine-Westphalia said companies are splitting loads across multiple ships, adding extra costs. Ferry links have been suspended in several places, including Bonn, where one Rhine bridge is already closed for construction. Passenger shipping is also affected: the Cologne-Düsseldorf line cancelled numerous trips and some landing stages can no longer be reached by certain vessels.

Freight traffic on the Rhine already reacts sensitively to falling water levels.

Fuel supply fears

Business daily Handelsblatt warned that the low water could lead to shortages of gasoline and diesel in Germany. Limited loading capacity and rising freight rates are already pushing up prices at filling stations. The maritime coordinator of the federal government, Christoph Ploß, urged faster expansion of the waterways, saying a "construction turbo" for the Lower and Middle Rhine already approved by the government must be implemented quickly.

Low water must not become a brake on the German economy.

Political response

North Rhine-Westphalia's transport minister Oliver Krischer called for a national task force to improve the transport situation and wants the low-water crisis added to the agenda of a special conference of transport ministers scheduled for Thursday. He also demanded federal funds to deepen the shipping channel between Duisburg and Cologne, including the removal of stones from the riverbed.

We need a short-term national task force for measures to improve the transport situation.

Heatwave and wider river crisis

The German Weather Service expects temperatures to reach 38°C on Monday and Tuesday, with severe thunderstorms and tropical nights in western urban areas. No significant rain is forecast for western Germany in the first week of August, so further record lows are likely. The low water is not confined to the Rhine: 44% of measuring stations on the Rhine show extremely low water, 16% on the Elbe, and 78% on the Danube.

Other consequences

Exposed riverbeds have revealed old ammunition, prompting bomb disposal operations and public warnings. High water temperatures are causing oxygen depletion and fish deaths, repeating a pattern seen during the June heatwave. Local media also report a drop in bookings for leisure boats and water scooters.