I saw a video yesterday of the Rhine, looking desperately dry. Now BASF, one of the biggest suppliers of chemicals in the world, has declared force majeure on a range of key materials, which are transported by river barge. This will add stress to a whole range of chemical industries, just as we are recovering from the consequences of the explosions at BASF’s Ludwigshafen plant a year ago.

One of our raw materials, of which were were buying 20 tons a month at £5.50 a kilo, we were only able to secure 700 kilos in March at £19.00 a kilo. And people complain when stuff gets more expensive!

This is STW, so someone will be along shortly to tell you that you should absorb that into your profit margin

It has been incredibly dry here in Germany this year, I can’t recall a rainy day for about 6 months until some light showers this week. If we do get a deluge it will probably wash out all the trails and leave deep canyons in them all. i live about 15km from the Rhine, 60km from Ludwigshafen.

This is STW, so someone will be along shortly to tell you that you should absorb that into your profit margin

Or how cheap it’s been for so long…

If the Rhine is drying up…

What about my White Wine consumption?

One of our raw materials, of which were were buying 20 tons a month at £5.50 a kilo, we were only able to secure 700 kilos in March at £19.00 a kilo. And people complain when stuff gets more expensive!

not like you though.  Nope.  No complaints here.  No sirree.

Seriously though it worries me too.  I cycle along the river Frome twice a day, which is almost as large and strategically important as the Rhine.  The water level normally varies daily and with the seasons, but I reckon it’s has been at ‘about as low as it gets in the height of summer’ (technical term) pretty much constantly for about 6 full months now, barring the odd day or two here and there.  It’s really strange. The otters seem to have shipped out too.

I wouldn’t worry – Trump and his ilk don’t believe in this stuff.  It’s not a real problem.

…and the knock on effect to Power Generation.

As a general consequence of low water levels hydro generation output is down, naturally. And guess what? So is convenientional gas, coal etc as a number of them are unable to extract water from the rivers as normal for their steam turbines.

Been proper dry in Germany all summer.

less than 50% of the normal rainfail every month since May, except July which was less than 25% (and ironically, the only month that I recall a proper torrential thunderstorm, and I got proper drenched).  One of the trails (footpath) that was repaired last winter was destroyed at some point. But it is basically compacted sand.

Parks have been brown since April, but then it was 30C in April. Only a few weeks after it was still frozen ponds and streams.

I believe some river cruise operators have had to bus their pensioners from city to city as the Danube is too shallow in places for the big boats.

And Quiet flows The Don

the river Frome… is almost as large and strategically important as the Rhine.

Very good 😉

The Rhine is low.. its affecting fuel prices since the barges can only travel with reduced loads and teh rest has to go by road… some stories of barges losing €1k a day…

Gppd for fatbiking though. Opens up the river banks a bit.

Now BASF, one of the biggest suppliers of chemicals in the world, has declared force majeure on a range of key materials, which are transported by river barge.

Well, if they’re such chemistry geniuses, why don’t they just synthesize some water, fill the river up, then use that to ship in their supplies?

They’re German, they only make heavy water and that sinks to the bottom. (I’ve seen Heroes of Telemark, I know what I’m talking about.)

They could ask Venice for some of the extra water they have right now.

Well, if they’re such chemistry geniuses, why don’t they just synthesize some water, fill the river up, then use that to ship in their supplies?

And how do they get the raw materials to the plant to synthesize it? OK, hydrogen’s a gas but look at the last time they tried a bulk shipment of that.

No, it has to be in liquid form, by barge……

Although based on Rickmeister’s post, maybe a fleet of fat tyred Kona utes?

I thought I saw an advert for powdered water just add ……er …….oh.

“Hunger stones” on the Elbe

https://www.sciencealert.com/sinister-hunger-stones-dire-warnings-surfacing-european-heatwave-czech-drought-elbe-decin

This was Edersee (Dambusters dam) 3 weeks ago. Pretty dry.

It’s not just the Rhine. I was in Hamburg at the weekend and the Elbe is also worryingly low.

A wider Northern European problem, is my understanding.

Yet the Alps have had their wettest summer for years, haven’t they?

This was Edersee (Dambusters dam) 3 weeks ago. Pretty dry.

It’s been dryer 😉

IHN – LOLing in a room full of Germans at that.