Huawei: Huaneng Ruichi's Autonomous Electric Mining Fleet

Mining is responsible for up to 7% of global greenhouse gas emissions according to McKinsey.

Yet coal remains a cornerstone for energy in several nations, making an immediate shift difficult due to its role in social and economic advancement.

To mitigate environmental damage and heighten safety, a fleet of 100 Huaneng Ruichi autonomous electric mining trucks have commenced operations at the Yimin open-pit mine, located in Inner Mongolia, China.

These trucks are part of a collaborative project between Huaneng Inner Mongolia Eastern Energy, Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group, Huawei and State Grid Smart Internet of Vehicles.

This mine is the first globally to reach large-scale synergy between vehicles, the cloud and network, enhancing safety and setting an intelligence benchmark for mining.

Li Shuxue, Chairman of Huaneng Inner Mongolia Eastern Energy Co., Ltd., said that the company is actively implementing the new national energy security strategy and working to drive an energy transition in mining transportation.

As a key part of these efforts, it is replacing fuel vehicles with electric ones to build safer, more intelligent and greener mines.

About the Huaneng Ruichi Trucks

The Huaneng Ruichi trucks have accomplished three records for autonomous electric mining vehicles: they have the largest payload, fastest speed and lowest temperature operation capabilities.

Capable of transporting 90 tonnes, these trucks perform in extreme conditions, functioning at temperatures as low as -40°C.

They also achieve 120% more operational efficiency compared to their manually-driven counterparts.

The area around the Yimin mine is rich in biodiversity with wetland, grassland and shrubland according to research from the China University of Mining and Technology.

Removing emissions from vehicles in the area could help to prevent harm to nearby ecosystems. 

Autonomous truck operations

Huawei Cloud offers a Commercial Vehicle Autonomous Driving Cloud Service (CVADCS), utilising crowdsourced mapping for real-time updates on operation locations.

This cloud service decreases waiting durations, enables quick route planning and boosts the efficiency of operations.

These autonomous trucks are China's first to operate without a driver’s cabin, reducing personnel risks and exposure to harsh environments.

Zhang Ping'an, Executive Director of Huawei and CEO of Huawei's Cloud Computing Business Unit, noted that Huawei has developed AI algorithms for open-pit mining. 

These algorithms enable precise sensing for autonomous vehicles and efficient collaboration on the cloud, which is uniquely suited to accelerating the coal mining industry's transition from manual to intelligent operations.

5G-A in the Yimin mining area

A 5G-Advanced (5G-A) network has been deployed in the area to provide network coverage that is precise enough for autonomous driving routes. 

This network aids in seamless vehicle-to-cloud integration.

Yimin is the first open-pit mine to use G5-A, achieving uplink speeds of 500 Mbps with a latency of just 20ms.

This system facilitates HD video and cloud-based dispatching of the autonomous trucks.

The cutting-edge 5G technology is anticipated to support round-the-clock operations for more than 300 vehicles in the future.

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