Package boom due to online shopping, but no truck drivers. Japan wants to test a 500-kilometer-long conveyor belt between Osaka and Tokyo as a solution.
What kind of conveyor belt is that? You can imagine a 500-kilometer-long belt running along or beneath a highway that spans the distance between Tokyo and Osaka. As of today, it would be the longest conveyor belt in the world. This would correspond approximately to the width of Germany from the Dutch to the Polish border.
Packages secured accordingly or anchored carts, in which packages are stacked, would lie on it. In the end, it is comparable to systems commonly used in factories, just on a scale never seen before – and perhaps even underground.
Why is this necessary? According to Japannews, the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism sees the concept of the conveyor belt as a viable solution to a problem familiar to us in Germany: an increasing number of packages due to online commerce but a lack of personnel for transportation.
According to data from Japannews, the number of packages has more than doubled in the last 30 years. By 2030, it is expected that about one-third of shipments may no longer be delivered.
The longest conveyor belt in the world, will it really come?
What exactly will such a conveyor belt look like? A panel of experts has developed the concept since February of this year, under which a conveyor belt will be installed either below or directly next to an existing highway. This will automatically transport packages or carts of different sizes between the metropolises of Osaka and Tokyo. Each pallet can carry about a ton of cargo of various kinds.
How much could be transported here? It is estimated that approximately 25,000 trucks per day could be replaced.
Will the conveyor belt really be built? Whether such a conveyor belt will be installed underground or above ground has not yet been decided, but the plan seems to generally meet with approval from decision-makers.
The biggest hurdle would be the costs. For the underground variant, about 22 billion euros are estimated for the entire route. Older figures from similar studies, which Japannews refers to, estimate the necessary investment for an above-ground facility at around 10 billion in total, if we conservatively account for inflation since then.
[The project] will not only address the logistics crisis but also help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. […] We would like to continue discussions on this matter promptly.
Tetsuo Saito, Minister for Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism
Completion is expected by the year 2034. Currently, the ministry is looking for ways to involve private investors. It remains to be seen whether the longest conveyor belt in the world will really become a reality.
With every order that necessitates such projects, there is also the chance of not receiving what you ordered or even more. If you ever find yourself in the latter situation and do not know how to behave, we can recommend the following article: Amazon delivers more than ordered, what should be done? We asked a lawyer.
