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A row of trucks loaded to the top crosses the mine without anyone holding the steering wheel. They move alone, precisely, As if they were choreographed. And we do not talk about a prototype or laboratory tests: this is already happening in the Yimin mine, northeast of China. According to SCMPthe state group Huaneng has deployed the largest individual fleet of electric trucks without driver operated with Huawei technology in a single mining operation.
Behind this deployment is Huawei’s technology, along with advances by Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group and the Beijing University of Science and Technology. In total, there are 100 vehicles of large tonnage, known as Huaneng Ruichi, they move tons of coal without human intervention, even in adverse climatic conditions. According to Li Shuxue, president of Huaneng Mengdong, it is the largest coordinated deployment of this type of vehicles.
Connectivity and cloud, two key elements
Everything works thanks to a combination of advanced technologies: 5G-Advanced connectivity, artificial intelligence (AI), high precision mapping, cloud computing and intelligent battery exchange. Zhang PinganCEO of Huawei Cloud, explained that the 5G-A, also known as 5.5g, allows to operate with extremely low latency and very high speed. In an industrial environment like this, that response capacity is key.
But this has done nothing but start. Huaneng plans to expand the fleet to 300 autonomous trucks in this same mine for the next three years. And the impulse goes beyond Yimin. The National Chinese Coal Association has projected a “Explosive growth” of unmanned mining trucks in 2026. The forecast is that the figure doubles in 2026. Automation is already noticed: the same association estimates that operating costs have been reduced around 8 % in mines that have incorporated these systems.
The advances we are seeing in Chinese mining are part of a broader strategy to modernize traditional Asian giant sectors with advanced technology. And what today unfolds within its borders also begins to emerge as an opportunity in other markets.
Now, there is another deployment that should be taken into account. In the Zaha Naoer mine, also in Interior Mongolia, they have been put into operation 135 autonomous trucks of extended range that operate daily. The project, promoted by China Power Investment, has other technological suppliers and a different architecture. How does Sina Finance collectthe operation started as a pilot in 2024 and already accumulates more than 770,000 kilometers traveled, with more than five million cubic meters of extracted material.
Although the total number of vehicles is higher, it is not a homogeneous deployment. Unlike the case of Huawei, in Zaha Naoer, trucks use diverse systems, some with extended autonomy, and do not respond to a single technological platform. This allows Huaneng to present the Yimin project as the greatest individual, integrated and electrical deployment that has been carried out so far.
The infrastructure that makes it possible includes mixed networks of 4g and 5g
The infrastructure that supports the Zaha Naoer fleet is backed in mixed 4G and 5G networks, cloud control centers and coordination systems between vehicles. If one of the trucks detects an anomalythe system transmits data in real time so that technicians can intervene remotely without interrupting the operation.
Beyond the technological deployment, automation is also reconfiguring the organization of work in the mines. In Zaha Naoer, for example, the use of autonomous trucks has considerably reduced the need for cabin personnel: 325 less drivers and a monthly savings estimated at 4,000,000 yuan. At the same time, operational security has been reinforced, with less direct exposure to risk environments and greater control over each phase of the process.
Images | Huaneng Group
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