Last week’s record temperatures have not caused noteworthy disruption in the logistics of steel mills and associated operations in Germany, Kallanish observes.
Steel mills and their related association have so far not reported any issues. Saarland mills Saarstahl and Dillinger see no particular problems from low water levels on its waterways, a spokeswoman tells Kallanish.
Further down the Rhine, thyssenkrupp Steel is not aware of impairments to its logistics either. “The Rhine is not fed from glaciers anymore, but mainly from rainfall, therefore dry periods take influence on its water levels,” a spokeswoman notes. However, this has not yet been the case in recent weeks, she says.
Salzgitter receives most of its supplies via the Mittellandkanal canal, which is relatively stable in terms of water levels. Heat aside, the company recently worded complaints over train transport bottlenecks due to a number of construction sites along the railway routes.
So far during 2026, there have been no noteworthy reports on impairments of Germany’s industrial waterways overall, compared to previous dry years seen in 2018 and 2019.
Meanwhile, on various motorways the heat caused cracks in the pavement, resulting in several routes being blocked temporarily. Going forward, this could become a problem for typical transport routes used in local steel and scrap logistics.
