Historic droughts across Europe are disrupting river freight operations, forcing vessels to sail underloaded, reports Oregon's The Cool Down.

Water levels on major rivers including the Rhine, Danube and Vistula have dropped sharply, limiting cargo capacity and halting some operations. Ships on the Rhine south of Duisburg and Cologne are operating at half capacity, while surcharges are being imposed to offset reduced loads.

On Hungary's Danube, ships are running at just 30 to 40 per cent capacity due to extreme heat, according to the Hungarian Shipping Association. Poland's Vistula River hit its lowest recorded level in Warsaw this summer.

The result is higher transport costs, supply chain delays, and price hikes for consumers on goods ranging from car parts to food.

Agricultural and industrial sectors are also affected. In past droughts, German firms faced production bottlenecks, and French energy supplier EDF had to reduce nuclear output due to overheated rivers.

https://www.shippingazette.com/news?news_id=9250800000621