China's Huaneng Group has created the world's largest fleet of autopilot electric mining dump trucks
The world's largest fleet of fully autonomous electric mine dump trucks has begun operations at the Yimin coal mine in China. The project was implemented by the state-owned energy corporation Huaneng Group.
Here's What We Know
The fleet includes 100 XCMG ZNK95 dump trucks operating without drivers - from loading to unloading. The machines have a payload capacity of up to 85 tonnes. They are equipped with 509 kW⋅h traction batteries capable of operating at temperatures as low as -40°C. A combination of millimetre radar, computer vision and AI algorithms are used for navigation.
Battery charging is realised using a quick-change system: depleted modules are dismantled and sent for slow charging from solar panels, and the vehicle continues to operate with already charged units. This made it possible to organise a continuous transport cycle.
A 5G-Advanced private network from Huawei with a bandwidth of 500 Mbps and latency of less than 20 ms is used for fleet management and traffic coordination. This enables real-time video transmission and machinery control via the cloud. Huawei is also supplying AI algorithms for routing and logistics.
According to the developers, autonomous electric dump trucks offer up to 20% productivity gains over common diesel machines, which means lower costs in the long term.
Source: ChinaDaily
