Germany’s Rhine river will become impassable for barges carrying coal, oil and gas later this week, in a devastating blow to factories upriver.
Levels at Kaub, a key point along the waterway west of Frankfurt, are predicted to fall to below 40cm on Friday, according to the German Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration.
At that chokepoint, the river becomes effectively impassable for many barges, which use the Rhine to move a range of goods including coal, oil and gas.
Water levels will then fall further to 37cm on Saturday, officials warned.
The river runs from Switzerland through France and Germany to the Netherlands, where it joins the North Sea.
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🇩🇪The Rhine is close to running dry in a German energy nightmare.
Rhine water levels at Kaub will soon make it impassable for barges carrying coal and gas imports#Thread 👇https://t.co/zxifmOBgJB pic.twitter.com/Oa0cSNcDMu
— Telegraph World News (@TelegraphWorld) August 10, 2022