摘要: |
Despite historically low levels on the Rhine River, Germany's main commercial waterway, Germany is using more barges to transport oil as a cutoff of Russian oil and gas looms. Using Europe's inland waterways network, barges connect Antwerp and Rotterdam with Europe's interior. They can reach Berlin in the northeast, Austria and Switzerland to the south, and even the Black Sea. German authorities are reportedly looking at the viability of increasing shipments of fuel by barge to central storage sites. The Irish Examiner reports that 550,000 barrels of oil were sent by inland waterways from Rotterdam to destinations in Germany in 2020. It takes about a week to travel the 800 kilometers from Rotterdam to Berlin by Germany's extensive network of canals. These voyages were previously rare, but are becoming more common as Germany, and Europe, look for ways to reduce dependence on Russian oil and gas. |