Low water levels on Germany’s Rhine River are disrupting raw material deliveries and increasing transport costs for Thyssenkrupp Steel’s Duisburg plant.
The company has slightly reduced blast furnace production as limited river capacity affects supplies of key raw materials. Thyssenkrupp has also suspended its own barge operations and is using chartered vessels with shallower drafts to maintain deliveries.
At the Kaub shipping bottleneck, the Rhine water level fell to around 42 cm, close to the level at which cargo traffic may be suspended. Ships are currently operating at about 20% of their normal capacity, forcing cargo owners to use more vessels and pay additional low-water surcharges.
Despite the disruption, Thyssenkrupp said deliveries to customers are not currently at risk. However, continued low water could place further pressure on production costs and supply chains across Germany’s steel and manufacturing sectors.
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