Coal news and updates

EACON signs up two more big Chinese open pit coal mines for its AHS

Since August 2023 EACON Mining Technology says it has begun autonomous haulage system (AHS) cooperation with two new projects, the Gobi Desert No. 2 Coal Mine, a subsidiary of the TBEA Group, and Huolinhe South Coal Mine, a subsidiary of State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC). The company said: “This represents a new stage in EACON’s development, one that will see large-scale and rapid deployment of a mature autonomous driving solution.”

It adds that the new projects also “demonstrate EACON’s market dominance in China’s Northwest region which accounts for 85% of the country’s total open-pit coal mines.” EACON argues that it was the first in the industry to achieve normal operation in the region, starting autonomous driving stripping and haulage operations at the South pit of TBEA and National Energy Group’s Zhundong Mine in July and November 2020, respectively.

“The South Pit of TBEA is a benchmark project run by EACON in the region. In the years past, the number of autonomous driving vehicles increased from 39 at the end of 2022 to 203 in October 2023. This demonstrates a safe, efficient, and reliable product offering that has won the confidence of the TBEA mining group.”

The Gobi Desert No. 2 Coal Mine is located in northwestern China, with an area of 87.23 km² and 4.573 billion tons of resource reserves. The mine has a production capacity of 30 Mt/y, and is ranked among the top ten open-pit mines in China in terms of coal production. On August 25, EACON successfully deployed the initial batch of trucks at the mine site to validate and acclimatise to the mining environment. Just 17 days later, on September 12, EACON reached the significant feat of conducting operations entirely without the need for safety drivers. Looking ahead to October, EACON plans to deploy 33 hybrid trucks, all operating autonomously and without any safety drivers onboard.

The Huolinhe South Coal Mine, located in Inner Mongolia Province, was built in June 1981 and covers an area of approximately 30 km². EACON will deploy the first 10 extended-range hybrid trucks with a payload of 90 t to enable autonomous driving operation in the short term.

EACON adds that its implementation time is significantly shorter than other players in the industry, “maintaining the lead position in terms of deployment efficiency. This demonstrates that EACON’s autonomous driving solution in coal mining stripping operations has reached maturity. With high flexibility, adaptability, and technical stability, EACON’s AHS solution can be replicated in a short period of time.”

At present, EACON says it has already signed four of the top ten open-pit coal mines in China, and has cooperated with top mining companies such as National Energy Group, TBEA Group, Zijin Mining Group, State Power Investment Corporation, and mining contractors. In the future, it says it will continue to expand its commercialisation territory, “and provide safe, efficient, and green autonomous haulage solutions for mines in China and around the world.”