Extreme water levels force first companies to cut production as industry representatives describe a crisis.
Talivio News (AI illüstrasyon)
Chemical company Covestro has declared force majeure due to low-water levels in the Rhine. The company has already reported restrictions on its operations.
The extreme low water level of the Rhine is forcing the first companies to cut production. This development marks the beginning of operational adjustments for businesses reliant on the river.
Newly verified projections indicate the Rhine’s water level at Kaub may drop to a single-digit reading for the first time, threatening to split navigation into two disconnected segments, as transport expert Thomas Puls warned that road and rail cannot absorb the lost inland shipping capacity; in response, five German states have suspended the Sunday truck driving ban, while Covestro confirmed its Brunsbüttel–North Rhine-Westphalia shipments are now operating at reduced cargo loads via the Elbe and Rhine, with daily rail links as a partial alternative.
