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Heatwaves and droughts in Europe have lowered Rhine River water levels, keeping barges from running.
German barge operator and intermodal transporter Contargo said last Friday that it may have to largely discontinue its navigation on the Upper and Middle Rhine, projecting the Kaub Gauge level would fall below 40 centimeters from the weekend. When the gauge levels go below 81 centimeters at Kaub and 181 centimeters at Duisburg-Ruhrort, Contargo no longer have an obligation to transport, according to its general terms and conditions. It has also pointed out that it cannot accept any liability for costs that may be incurred by delays in delivery or collection of containers. Contargo will continue to offer rail transport to its terminals in Basel, Worth, Mannheim, Frankfurt, Neuss and Duisburg; however, these capacities are limited. In the Rhine River, which is an important transport channel to link the Port of Rotterdam with industrial areas in Germany and Switzerland, the Kaub Gauge level went down all the way to 30 centimeters on Monday. It could go below the record of 27 meters set in 2018.
