Autonomous extended-range mining trucks begin Inner Mongolia operations

A total of 135 extended-range autonomous mining trucks were delivered to Zakhnuur Coal Company, a subsidiary of State Power Investment Co in the 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 industry leaders, 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.