A total of 135 extended-range autonomous mining trucks are put into use at the Zakhnuur coal site. [Photo by Xing Le/provided to goinnermongolia.com.cn]

A total of 135 extended-range autonomous mining trucks were delivered to Zakhnuur Coal Company, a subsidiary of State Power Investment Co in Inner Mongolia autonomous region, on May 10, marking the region's first unmanned mining truck project surpassing 100 units.

The company is a critical energy supplier in northeastern China, operating with an approved annual coal production capacity of 18 million metric tons and over 120 million cubic meters of earth and rock stripping.

Located in a high-altitude region with challenging geological conditions, the Zakhnuur coal site is known for its soft, water-rich rock formations. To enhance safety, operational efficiency, and cost-effectiveness, the company has been pursuing intelligent and unmanned mining solutions.

In early 2024, Zakhnuur partnered with three industries, including EACON, to launch a pilot project using 33 autonomous trucks.

Since then, the trucks have logged over 770,000 kilometers in total and handled more than 5.25 million cu m of material. Operating at speeds of up to 35 kilometers per hour, the autonomous fleet has achieved up to 90 percent of human efficiency, cut fuel consumption by 20–30 percent, and reported zero safety incidents.

Mining trucks carry earth and rock at the Zakhnuur coal site. [Photo by Xing Le/provided to goinnermongolia.com.cn]

These trucks, fully electric and equipped with advanced technologies such as environmental perception, integrated positioning, route planning, and vehicle control, operate without direct human intervention. Operators are responsible solely for fleet management, as the trucks themselves are equipped with preemptive safety warning systems and self-diagnostic capabilities that enable early anomaly detection.

The success of the autonomous fleet hinges on robust 5G communication technology. Liu Jingyu, Zakhnuur Coal Company chairman, said that his company has built a comprehensive unmanned transportation system, including a smart cloud control center, a hybrid 4G/5G private network, roadside infrastructure, and coordinated auxiliary systems.

These advancements allow for real-time remote monitoring, precise navigation in complex terrain, and seamless coordination between excavators and trucks.

By reducing reliance on manual labor, particularly in extreme weather and harsh environments, autonomous mining enhances worker safety, reduces costs, and delivers significant economic and social value. This initiative signals a transformative shift toward safer, smarter, and more efficient coal mining in China's resource-rich northern frontier.

Mining trucks operate at the Zakhnuur coal site. [Photo by Xing Le/provided to goinnermongolia.com.cn]