By Eva Brendel | Updated on Oct 09, 2026 at 03:11 PM
Power generator Steag GmbH warned of reduced availability at one of its coal plants as record-low water levels on the Rhine restrict fuel deliveries, the latest sign that months of disruption on the river are starting to hit electricity generation.
Steag’s Walsum 10 plant will have limited availability through the end of November because low water levels are restricting coal deliveries, according to a notice on EEX Transparency.
It’s the third coal-fired power plant in the region to report restrictions. Grosskraftwerk Mannheim AG has also warned that constrained coal supplies will affect operations through the end of the year.
Datteln 4 separately warned this week that limited coal supplies could reduce availability, though it didn’t give a reason for the shortage.
Water levels on the Rhine fell to record lows this year and remain severely depressed, limiting the amount of cargo vessels can carry. While coal-plant operators built up stockpiles in preparation, weeks of transport restrictions are starting to take a toll just as heating demand picks up and solar generation declines heading into winter.