Low water just won't let go of us.

It has been with us at the CHEMPARK sites in Leverkusen, Dormagen and Krefeld-Uerdingen since July – and in these very days, water levels have once again dropped to their lowest marks.

The photos from our Rhine terminals show what that means. What to look for:

On the ship: The tankers sit extremely high in the water, with the dark hull almost fully exposed – fully loaded, the deck would be just above the waterline. Only vessels with a shallow draught are still sailing, and each one carries only a fraction of its cargo.
At the quay: Quay wall and mooring dolphins stand several metres clear, the fenders hang above the water, the ships lie far below the quay edge. Our quays are built for the full range of water levels up to flood stage – right now, that means a steep way down. Unloading, boarding and leaving the ships call for extra concentration and care.
On the river: The gravel banks opposite lie dry across their full width, and the Rhine is visibly narrower. The ships keep strictly to the navigation channel – outside it, there simply isn't enough water.

For months, we have been working with our customers to shift many supply routes to rail and truck in order to keep production running. That is working well. But it is also a heavy burden – on our processes and, above all, on the colleagues who have to stay focused around the clock.

In my 25 years in the chemical park environment, I have never seen a low-water period this severe and this long. We had serious low water in 2018 as well – but far more concentrated and much shorter.

We have to prepare for this. Inland shipping remains a key mode of transport for the reliable supply of raw materials to our highly integrated production sites. At the same time, we have to learn to deal with the consequences of climate change – the pressure on our supply chain solutions and the demands on their flexibility will grow. We are preparing for that while keeping production running.

And one more thing: Competitiveness in Germany as an industrial location starts with infrastructure. Waterways, locks, bridges, rail and roads are the structural advantages our industry was built on. If we want to win them back, we have to start taking proper care of them again.

My thanks go to all colleagues who have been working in shifts at our terminals with sustained effort since July. You have my utmost respect. The strain is also clearly visible at our rail yards and truck terminals in CHEMPARK. Everyone is working with focus and has the situation under control – these are professionals at work.

Let's keep working together with focus and see this situation through professionally. Thank you all – Glückauf!

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