On November 18, a milestone for sustainable logistics was reached in the northern Italian province of Trento: the world’s first ropeway for transporting apples officially began operation. The ceremonial opening attracted a great deal of media attention and was attended by high-profile guests, including the Prime Minister of Italy, Giorgia Meloni, Agriculture Minister Francesco Lollobrigida, as well as the leadership of Melinda (President Ernesto Seppi) and LEITNER, represented by Anton Seeber and Martin Leitner.
The Melinda consortium, which produces around 400,000 tons of apples a year, has implemented a pioneering project in collaboration with LEITNER. The new ropeway system connects the processing center in Predaia with “hypogeal cells”, an underground warehouse in the heart of the Dolomites over a distance of 1.3 kilometers.
Key facts about the apple ropeway
1,300-meter-long route, including 430 meters in a tunnel
Difference in altitude of 87 meters
Transport capacity: 460 stackable 300 kg bins per hour
Fully automated loading and unloading – only one employee required to monitor the system
The ropeway transports the apples directly to a natural refrigerator, the “hypogeal cells”, that uses 30% less electricity than conventional warehouses. This meant there was no need to construct new buildings on the surface. The new system will save around 5,000 truck trips per year and significantly reduce CO₂ emissions in the valley.
