Rhine River Chokepoint Is Lowest for Time of Year on Record
- Vessel operators are already limiting loads being carried
- Decline in water levels coincides with disruption at refinery
Ships sail past Stahleck Castle in Bacharach, Germany.
Photographer: Alina Grünky/picture alliance/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
Water levels at a chokepoint on the Rhine have fallen to a seasonal low, hampering shipments of diesel inland from Europe’s oil-trading hub.
Europe’s busiest commercial waterway is being closely watched after dryness last summer left it effectively unnavigable. As well as moving fuels like diesel and heating oil inland, the Rhine also handles coal, chemicals and metals.