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Ship stuck in the Rhine: diesel reloading in Oestrich-Winkel!
Find out more about the ship accident in Oestrich-Winkel on June 26th, 2025 and the consequences for shipping on the Rhine.
Ship stuck in the Rhine: diesel reloading in Oestrich-Winkel!
A refueling adventure on the Rhine: On June 26, 2025, around 1 p.m., an incident occurred in Oestrich-Winkel that affected shipping on this important waterway. A motor tanker, loaded with an impressive 2,000 tons of diesel, ran aground about 200 meters below the tailplane of the Marianneaue. It was discovered that the ship had been dumped 15 centimeters too deep, significantly complicating the situation. Despite several attempts to free the ship, this was initially unsuccessful and the Water Shipping Authority (WSA) issued a ban on further sailing.
The affected ships had to be patient while the stricken vessel's diesel was reloaded. By 9:20 p.m., 340 tons of diesel had been transferred to another tanker. Fortunately, the tanker itself remained undamaged and there was no damage to property or people. Both ships continued their journey after the operation. After a closure of shipping, which was maintained by the patrol boats of the Mainz and Rüdesheim water police, traffic was reopened between 6:53 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.
Closures and shipping conditions
A total of seven ships traveling uphill and five sailing downhill were affected during the closure. All affected ships were able to continue their journey after shipping conditions were restored. The fairway was narrowed to a width of 80 meters, which was due to several incorrect depths. The Rhine remains one of the busiest inland waterways in the world, with around 600 ship movements daily on the German-Dutch border, 400 in Cologne and 300 in Mainz, to name just a few, as ZKR reports.
The incident in Oestrich-Winkel is not the first incident that has disrupted shipping on the Rhine. Just a few months ago, in April 2025, there was an accident near St. Goarshausen when a tanker loaded with 1,400 tons of gasoline collided with an unloaded motor tanker. Here too, shipping traffic was closed for a short time due to the grounding, but there was no significant damage or personal injury. Such incidents raise questions, particularly the role of the Rhine's low water level, which is also a topic of growing interest.
The Central Commission for Rhine Navigation, responsible for infrastructure issues on the Rhine, is heavily involved in monitoring such events. She notes that the Rhine regularly experiences interruptions in shipping traffic, an average of around 100 hours per year. These usually involve high or low water levels and various, often unpredictable, factors. After all, navigation on the Rhine must also adapt to the challenges of climate change, a task that the CCNR is keeping an eye on and for which an update of the status report is being planned.
Shipping on the Rhine therefore remains an exciting topic that affects not only regional but also international trade routes. As the ships continue to glide over the water, it becomes clear that wherever water flows, there are always stories to tell.