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Rhine Falls to 25 cm, Freight Costs Triple, Plants Reduce Output

8/3/2026

25 3 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

The Rhine fell to 25 cm at Kaub on Friday, leading WSV to warn that depth could drop to about 20 cm by next Friday, below the 30-cm critical threshold.
Freight from Rotterdam to Karlsruhe rose to €130–€140 per tonne, up from €45 per tonne at June’s end.
Low Danube levels forced Serbia to cut coal-plant output, Romania to blast a rock, and Hungary’s Paks plant to run below 50 % capacity.

History

Historical Context

During the 2018 heat wave the Danube fell to 2.5 m in Vienna and Rhine freight rates rose to about €120 tonne, a 70 % jump. In summer 2022 the Rhine dropped to –3 cm at Emmerich, 10 cm below the 2018 low, and Serbia, Romania and Hungary saw Danube-driven power cuts. The German Waterways and Shipping Association (WSV) says repeated low-water events now jeopardize trade and energy.

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Story summary

The Rhine fell to 25 cm at Kaub on Friday, leading WSV to warn that depth could drop to about 20 cm by next Friday, below the 30-cm critical threshold.
Freight from Rotterdam to Karlsruhe rose to €130–€140 per tonne, up from €45 per tonne at June’s end.
Low Danube levels forced Serbia to cut coal-plant output, Romania to blast a rock, and Hungary’s Paks plant to run below 50 % capacity.

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