Rain raises Rhine river levels in Germany, but ships still only part loaded

HAMBURG (Reuters) -Rain has raised water levels on the river Rhine in Germany, but most of the river is still too shallow for cargo vessels to sail fully loaded, commodity traders said on Wednesday.

Dry weather and a heatwave in June and July meant the river became too shallow for vessels to sail at full capacity. Ship operators imposed surcharges on freight rates to compensate for vessels sailing partly empty, increasing costs for cargo owners.

Rain this week has caused a strong rise in water levels, traders said. The impact of the heatwave had been larger than expected, as fields which drain into smaller streams and rivers feeding into the Rhine were especially dry.

Shallow water continues to hinder shipping on much of the river in Germany including Duisburg, Cologne and the chokepoint of Kaub, but vessels are able to take on larger loads, traders said.

Vessels can now sail around 70% full at Kaub, and around 60% full in Duisburg and Cologne.

More rain forecast in river catchment areas in coming days is expected to raise the river to approaching normal levels later this week, they said.

The Rhine is an important shipping route for commodities such as grains, minerals, ores, chemicals, coal and oil products, including heating oil.

German companies faced supply bottlenecks and production problems in summer 2022 after a drought led to unusually low water levels on the river.

(Reporting by Michael Hogan; Editing by Jan Harvey)