Rhine water in Germany rises slightly, not enough to boost shipping

HAMBURG, July 27 (Reuters) – Water levels on the Rhine in Germany have risen slightly after rain but not enough to provide a significant relief to freight ships which are still unable to sail fully loaded, navigation authorities said on Wednesday.

Shallow water continues to hinder shipping on the entire river in Germany. Freight shipping on the Rhine continues but with vessels often carrying greatly reduced loads, said German inland waterways navigation agency WSA.

Vessels are often only sailing half full, depending on their type. Water rose in the past two days at the chokepoint of Kaub near Koblenz but not enough to bring significant help.

“The ship operators are pleased at every additional centimetre of water but the picture of low water has not changed,” an agency spokesman said.

Showers in some areas this week were enough to stabilise water at a relatively constant level, he said.

During low water authorities do not close the river, it is up to vessel owners to decide if they can operate safely.

Loads are being spread between more vessels, increasing costs for cargo owners. The Rhine is an important shipping route for commodities including grains, chemicals, minerals, coal and oil products including heating oil.

German companies faced supply bottlenecks and production problems in 2018 after a drought and heat-wave led to unusually low water levels on the Rhine.

(Reporting by Michael Hogan, editing by Tomasz Janowski)