The mining industry in China has taken a major step towards automation with the deployment of 100 autonomous mining trucks at the Yimin coal mine in Inner Mongolia. This breakthrough led by state-owned energy group Huaneng and technologically backed by Huawei, represents the largest global deployment of driverless mining transport to date.
Autonomous mining trucks: A leap in efficiency and safety
The trucks, called Huaneng Ruichi, are designed to operate without drivers, eliminating direct human exposure in hazardous areas of the mine. The trucks feature 5G-Advanced communication technology to enhance their automation capabilities. The result of these improvements is 20% more efficiency compared to manned fleets.
[post_relacionado]Each unit is capable of working in extreme conditions, including sub-zero temperatures, and can transport up to 90 tons per trip. Thanks to cloud computing and automatic battery swapping, the fleet can operate 24/7 with minimal downtime.
Huawei drives smart mining
Huawei’s support has been key to the development of an autonomous autonomous driving system system that optimizes routes in real time and manages coordination between vehicles using artificial intelligence. Through 5G-A technology, the Yimin coal mine can count on ultra-fast link speeds and low latency, essential conditions for maintaining the continuous flow of transportation in the mining operation.
Jack Chen, vice president of mining solutions at Huawei, has pointed out that this technology can be applied in regions such as Africa and Latin America, where efficiency and safety in the extractive sector are priorities.
Expansion plan and future objectives
This initiative represents the first stage of a plan to increase the fleet to 300 autonomous trucks over the next three years. Huaneng Group, together with XCMG and Beijing University of Science and Technology, continues to develop solutions to move traditional mining towards a digitized, automated and sustainable environment.
According to data from the China National Coal Association, it is estimated that the country will surpass 5,000 automated mining trucks by the end of the year, a figure that aims to double by 2026. As the world’s leading coal producer, China is charting a technological path that could redefine operational standards in the global mining sector.
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Source: SCMP
Photo: shutterstock