Kiel channel in danger: ship movements at a record low!

Kiel channel in danger: ship movements at a record low!

Kiel. Shipping breaks in than ever before! Plagued by a Russia embargo, closures of lock chambers and a new speed limit for ships, the channel has experienced a dramatic decline in ship movements in recent months. The Situation is critical with fewer than 50 ship registrations per day. "Days with over 100 registrations are almost history," warns Jan Klein from the United Canal Agency (UCA).

If no miracle occurs by the end of December, the canal threatens the weakest result since the Second World War! The record of 2020 with only 25,247 ships could soon be broken. The decline in passage numbers in September was already over ten percent compared to the previous year. Many large ships avoid the channel and choose Skagen instead, even if you want to go from Hamburg to the Baltic Sea. "The waiting times are just too long," said Jens Broder Knudsen from the Kiel Canal initiative.

shipping fuel is again cheaper

The prices for shipping fuel decrease, but the shipowners are unsettled. Unbeardful waiting times drive away from the channel. The repair of a lock chamber in Brunsbüttel until September has also tightened the situation. A uniform speed limit of 12 km/h, which has been in effect since July

bad mood in the pilots on the nok

The pilots on the NOK are also in a predicament. Fewer ships mean fewer missions and therefore less income. A reduction in the youngsters under the pilots is already being discussed. So far, 26,659 ships have passed the channel in 2023. If the downward trend continues, the number could decrease to terrifying 24,000 by the end of the year. The load quantities and the size of the ships also show alarming double -digit declines!