The Inner Mongolia Yimin open-pit coal mine in China has recently become the site of a groundbreaking development in industrial automation: the launch of a fleet of 100 Huaneng Ruichi driverless electric mining trucks. This initiative marks a significant leap forward in safe, intelligent, and zero-emission coal mining, powered by Huawei’s cutting-edge AI 5G-Advanced (5G-A) and cloud technology.
This project is a collaborative effort involving China Huaneng Group (specifically its subsidiary Huaneng Inner Mongolia Eastern Energy), Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group (XCMG), Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd., and State Grid Smart Internet of Vehicles Co., Ltd.
World’s Largest Single Deployment: With 100 trucks, this is touted as the world’s largest single deployment of driverless electric mining trucks.
First 5G-A Powered Open-Pit Mine: The Yimin mine is the first open-pit mine globally to utilize 5G-A technology for large-scale vehicle-cloud-network synergy.
Fully Electric and Zero-Emission: The Huaneng Ruichi trucks are entirely electric, aligning with China’s push for green and intelligent coal mining. They are reportedly powered by solar-generated green electricity, and the fleet is expected to replace over 15,000 tons of diesel fuel and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 48,000 tons annually.
Enhanced Efficiency and Safety:
The autonomous trucks are claimed to deliver 120% of the comprehensive operational efficiency of manually driven trucks.
They are designed without a driver’s cabin, directly addressing safety concerns by removing human personnel from hazardous mining environments, especially crucial in extreme conditions.
Huawei’s Commercial Vehicle Autonomous Driving Cloud Service (CVADCS) uses real-time crowdsourced mapping and robust AI algorithms to optimize routes, minimize wait times, and maximize fleet productivity through real-time collaborative operations. It also adapts to real-time variables like weather, ground stability, and machinery wear.
Robust Connectivity: The 5G-A network provides a consistent uplink speed of 500 Mbps with a latency of just 20 milliseconds, vital for real-time data processing, HD video backhaul for remote monitoring, and seamless cloud-based fleet management for 24/7 autonomous operation. This connectivity addresses the challenges of harsh and complex terrain where traditional fiber deployment is impractical.
Extreme Condition Operation: Each truck can carry a payload of 90 metric tons and is engineered to operate reliably in extreme cold, withstanding temperatures as low as −40 C. They are also built to handle the rough conditions of open-pit mines, including heavy vibration, bumps, and impact.
Advanced Technologies: Beyond 5G-A and AI, the trucks utilize cloud computing, intelligent battery swapping, and high-precision mapping. The battery swapping system allows for quick changes (under six minutes for a full swap), eliminating downtime associated with long charging times.
Future Expansion: Plans are already in motion to scale operations, with the 5G-A infrastructure expected to eventually support more than 300 autonomous trucks operating 24/7 at the Yimin mine by 2028. This aligns with China’s broader goal for automated mining trucks nationwide, with projections to exceed 5,000 units by the end of 2025 and reach 10,000 by 2026.
