A new electric forklift equipped with a rotator has been introduced by Innofreight at the Sappi paper mill in Gratkorn, Austria. This is the first deployment of such equipment in Central Europe within the company’s operations.
The equipment is designed to operate continuously for up to seven hours, with a rapid charging function that can restore 60% capacity within half an hour. The battery system is modular and adaptable to operational needs, including terrain incline and load cycles. According to the technical parameters provided, each unloading cycle can handle up to 21 tonnes of biomass or wood chips.
The forklift is intended for sites without permanent unloading infrastructure or where flexible mobile unloading is required. This configuration extends Innofreight’s existing mobile unloading capabilities, which have been part of its logistics model in locations without direct rail access.
The deployment at Sappi is part of an ongoing cooperation between Innofreight, Kalmar, Papierholz Austria, and the mill operator. Their collaboration has included developments such as the WoodTainer XXL and rotator-equipped diesel forklifts, which have been in use since the mid-2000s.
Innofreight states that additional electric forklifts are being considered for other sites, particularly by operators in the biomass and timber sectors. Interest has been expressed from facilities across Europe that are seeking to electrify parts of their logistics processes.
The company links this step to a wider shift in rail freight and terminal logistics, as infrastructure upgrades like the Koralmbahn and Semmering Base Tunnel are expected to change parameters for timber and bulk material transport in Austria and neighbouring markets.
