Historically low water levels on the Rhine River have disrupted fuel supplies in eastern France, leaving many filling stations without at least one type of fuel, local media reported.
The drought has sharply reduced water levels on the river, preventing vessels from reaching the Port of Strasbourg and disrupting a key supply route linking eastern France with seaports and refineries in northern Europe, daily Le Figaro reported, citing official data.
As of Friday morning, 14% of filling stations in the Grand Est region were classified as “in difficulty,” meaning they had run out of at least one type of fuel, according to the government’s fuel-price monitoring website. The nationwide rate stood at 3%.
Alsace and the Vosges were among the worst-affected areas. In the Haut-Rhin and neighboring Territoire de Belfort departments, between 25% and 50% of stations were affected. Shortages of unleaded gasoline were more widespread than those of diesel.
The Rhine has become virtually unnavigable at Kaub in western Germany, where the navigable channel’s water level fell to an unprecedented 130 centimeters (51 inches) on Monday.
Jean-Laurent Kistler, development director at the French Waterways Authority in Strasbourg, said oil tankers were carrying only around 350 tons of fuel, compared with more than 1,500 tons under normal conditions.
Similar disruptions occurred in 2018 and 2023, but not on the same scale, Kistler said.
“The rainfall deficit started very, very early in the year,” he added, noting that such conditions usually emerge in September rather than at the beginning of July.
Rainfall is expected through the weekend and into next week, but authorities forecast that the river will rise by only around 20 cm (8 in) before falling again.
