CHN Energy is the largest coal miner in China – formed in 2017 following the merger of China Guodian Corporation and Shenhua Group. It operates some of China’s largest coal mines including those that form together the famous Zhungeer Complex in Inner Mongolia, namely Heidaigou and Haerwusu. These mines have many hundreds of trucks from the major global OEMs like Komatsu but also from most of the Chinese players from XCMG to AHI, XEMC, MCC, NHL, SANY and others. And they include sizes from tipper style wide body trucks through rigid models from 100 ton class up to the largest 400 ton class machines. Plus many of the larger machines are leased not owned.
Bringing autonomy to these fleets is a major challenge but the process is now gathering pace. Last year, CHN made modifications to a 291 t class Komatsu 930E mining truck at Heidaigou open-pit coal mine to turn it into a driverless vehicle. Aerospace Heavy Industry Co Ltd (AHI), part of China Space Sanjiang Group (CSSG) and based in central China’s Hubei Province made the changes working closely with autonomous technoogy specialist WAYTOUS (formerly known as VIPioneers). The unmanned truck operated on a test track area covering 3.6 km successfully carrying out various functions such as advancing, retreating, turning, going up and down slopes, loading and unloading.
This project went well and AHI at Heidaigou is now automating a further 10 930E trucks at the mine along with two electric shovels, two dozers and a grader. These are all running off a 5G comms network and the trucks are set to be demonstrated at a special Zhungeer management event on September 8, 2021 – the National Smart Mine Green Mine Demonstration and Construction Experience Exchange Meeting. In addition to the 930E fleet, AHI has also begun automating the 11 363 t (400 ton) class HT3363 electric-drive mining trucks of its own manufacture, which are also at Heidaigou mine.
In addition, at the Haerwusu mine a second automation project is now underway with AHI to automate a further 10 Komatsu 930E trucks at that mine. Lastly at CHN’s Pingzhuang coal mine, also in Inner Mongolia, there are plans for AHI to deploy up to 24 autonomous Inner Mongolia North Hauler Joint Stock Co (NHL) 100 ton class TR100 trucks.
Autonomous XEMC trucks at SPIC’s Huolinhe South mine equipped with TAGE Idriver technology
AHI says it has integrated a whole set of unmanned transportation system solutions aside from the trucks themselves including an intelligent management and control platform for unmanned transportation operations, ground management and monitoring systems, data communication systems, collaborative operation management systems, remote emergency takeover systems, unmanned transportation simulation systems, etc. The solution also supports later expansions and upgrades and is compatible with unmanned mining trucks of different manufacturers and tonnages.
An autonomous technology partner in addition to AHI for the 20 930Es at the two Zhungeer complex mines has not been officially stated but it is a fact that WAYTOUS and TAGE Idriver are the leading players in that market. For the 24 TR100 autonomous trucks at CHN Pingzhuang, IM understands that AHI is working with TAGE Idriver as it has an existing collaboration arrangement with NHL. Autonomous-ready new NTE200AT trucks with TAGE Idriver technology have been as an example have been supplied to SPIC’s new Huolinhe North coal mine while at Huolinhe South, TAGE Idriver has automated a number of older XEMC trucks.
Conversion work on AHI 400 ton HT3363 electric-drive mining truck for Heidaigou
