A posting on EEX Transparency shows Steag's Walsum 10 unit will have limited availability until the end of November because low Rhine water is crimping coal deliveries. The river has been so shallow that barges have to move lighter loads, slowing the flow of fuel to plants.
River levels decide whether coal and fuel can physically reach a plant. Market Briefs covers energy logistics free every weekday.
This marks the third coal-fired plant in the region to flag constraints tied to supply. Grosskraftwerk Mannheim AG said it expects its operations to be impacted by tight coal supply until the end of the year. Separately, in a statement this week, Datteln 4 noted that coal shortages may cut availability, while offering no explanation for the shortfall.
The Rhine hit record lows this year and remains severely depressed, which limits how much cargo each vessel can carry. Even though operators built up stockpiles ahead of time, weeks of transport bottlenecks are now biting just as heating demand rises and solar output fades into winter. It is a clear reminder of how weather and logistics can ripple into electricity supply right when seasonal needs climb.
Low water on the Rhine is a recurring and expensive constraint. Join Market Briefs free and follow it.
