(Bloomberg) -- Some German power plants are not getting enough coal delivered because of low levels on the river Rhine, threatening to derail the country’s plan to store more fuel ahead of winter. 

A heatwave has sent levels on parts of the river, key for shipping everything from coal to oil, to the lowest in at least 15 years on a seasonal basis. Europe’s biggest economy is doing all it can to secure coal to its plants ahead of winter after Russia curbed gas supplies. 

Two stations on the Rhine river are struggling to source coal because of the shallow water, according to notices posted on the EEX exchange. The low levels make it more difficult for barges to carry heavy loads down the river from major coal ports in the Netherlands and Belgium.

Low Rhine Water Levels Risk Worsening Europe’s Energy Crunch

Rhine water levels are below one meter at Kaub, a key bottleneck near Frankfurt, according to data from German Federal Waterways on Bloomberg. That’s just north of the two power plants at Mannheim and Karlsruhe, operated by Grosskraftwerk Mannheim AG and EnBW AG, where coal supplies are impacted. 

“Thanks to forward-looking stockpile management, we can ensure the supply of energy for people and companies even in the event of temporary supply bottlenecks,” Gkm said by email. Power plant operations aren’t currently impacted, said a spokesperson for EnBW. 

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