Passenger Ship Damages Lock On Germany’s Mosel River, 50 Freighters Stuck

Freight Shipping on West Germany’s Mosel River has been blocked after a passenger vessel damaged a lock, per authorities.

The river, which is called the Moselle in France, is a vital transit route for rapeseed and grain between France and Germany.

Inland Waterway Shipping stopped after the vessel damaged the lock at Sankt Aldegund between Koblenz and Trier, per a police spokesperson. Ships cannot cross through the lock in either direction.

Experts and officials examined the lock on Thursday, but they said that it is not possible to tell the extent of damage or say how long shipping will be impacted.

German federal transport minister Patrick Schnieder said that he would do everything in his power to ensure that the lock can resume operations as soon as possible.

The Mosel River closed to inland shipping in December as well after an accident caused damage to a lock at Mueden, south of Koblenz, and reopened in February after extensive repairs.

According to initial inspections, the lock’s concrete structure and drive mechanism are not damaged, said WSA head Eric Oehlmann.

Technicians are checking if it is possible to resume limited lock operations for stranded vessels, at least, he added.

If this is not possible, then emergency locks with temporary water control barriers might be used. However, this would be a slower process, and each vessel would need around an hour to transit the lock.

Approximately 50 freighters remain stranded on the Mosel River.

References: Reuters

Source: Maritime Shipping News