Temporary locks to be tested on Mosel River
NAVIGATION authorities in Germany will attempt to install a temporary lock system on the Mosel River this weekend to reopen the key waterway for cargo shipping, reports Reuters.
The river, an essential route for grains and rapeseed shipments between Germany and France, has been closed since an accident earlier this week.
The closure followed damage to a lock at Muden, south of Koblenz, with complete repairs expected to last until late March.
The German navigation agency WSA announced plans to test a temporary lock system over the weekend. If the test is successful, the first ships trapped by the closure could pass through as early as Monday.
Around 70 ships are stranded along the river, which is a critical route for supplying the metal industry.
The disruption has already impacted European markets.
Rapeseed futures rose after trading platform Euronext announced the suspension of physical deliveries to river ports in eastern France for the February contract, citing the Mosel blockage.
source:Schednet
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