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Rhine river reaches historic lows, disrupting European shipping
The Rhine river has reached historic low water levels, causing significant disruptions to European shipping and industry. At the Kaub gauge in Rhineland-Palatinate, water levels recently dropped into negative territory, hitting a low of minus two centimeters.
These conditions have led to soaring costs for freight transport. Surcharges for moving containers through the Kaub bottleneck can reach up to 1,350 euros per container. Major industrial players, including BASF and Thyssenkrupp, have been forced to adapt by using ships with shallower drafts to maintain the transport of essential raw materials, chemicals, and fuels.
At the German-Dutch border in Lobith, water levels fell to 6.1 meters, breaking the previous record of 6.12 meters. The water discharge at Lobith also dropped below 600 cubic meters per second for the first time in recorded history. The drought has also impacted tourism; a cruise ship carrying approximately 140 passengers, the Dutch Melody, became stuck near Cologne before being assisted to its destination.
Entities
BASF · Kaub · Lobith · Rhine · Thyssenkrupp
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Low water levels can result in surcharges of up to 1,350 euros per container for transport through the Kaub bottleneck. www.focus.de
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Low water levels have forced companies like BASF and Thyssenkrupp to use ships with shallower drafts. realitatea.md
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The water level at Lobith, on the German-Dutch border, dropped to 6.1 meters, breaking the previous record of 6.12 meters. realitatea.md
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The water discharge at Lobith fell below 600 cubic meters per second for the first time in recorded history. realitatea.md
- [○ 1 SOURCE] A cruise ship carrying approximately 140 passengers became stuck in the river near Cologne. realitatea.md
- [DISPUTED] The water level at the Kaub gauge in Rhineland-Palatinate fell to minus two centimeters. www.focus.de · www.dk-online.de · www.noz.de · www.wz.de
- [● 2 SOURCES] The water level at Kaub has been hovering at historically low levels since early August. www.wz.de · www.dk-online.de
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Freight ships have previously had to reduce cargo to approximately 20 percent of normal capacity due to low water levels. www.focus.de