News: German inland shipping hits a record low in 2022
Freight transport on Germany’s inland waterways in 2022 fell to its lowest level since German reunification. A total of 182 million tonnes of goods were transported on the country’s rivers and canals, representing a decline of 6.4% compared to the previous year.
According to Destatis, this record low is partly due to the severe drought in August 2022 and the resulting low water levels. In addition, the conflict in Ukraine also created additional challenges for inland shipping.
While most cargo groups saw a decline, coal transport increased by 12.1% compared to 2021. Due to the energy crisis and reduced gas supplies from Russia, Germany relied more heavily on coal for electricity generation. Of the coal transported on inland vessels, 84.1% came from abroad.
