Huawei: Powering Huaneng Ruichi's Autonomous EV Operations
The mining industry represents a substantial contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for up to 7% of these emissions according to McKinsey.
However, for various nations, mined coal remains a staple energy source, integral to economic and social development, thus delaying an immediate shift away from its usage.
In a move toward minimising environmental footprints and enhancing operational safety, a fleet of 100 Huaneng Ruichi autonomous electric mining trucks have been deployed at China's Yimin open-pit mine located in Inner Mongolia.
This fleet launch stems from a collaborative innovation project between Huaneng Inner Mongolia Eastern Energy, Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group, Huawei and State Grid Smart Internet of Vehicles.
This mine has become the worldās first to achieve large-scale vehicle-cloud-network synergy, greatly improving its production safety and setting a new standard for intelligent 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 autonomous electric mining trucks have earned recognition by setting three notable records: largest payload capacity, peak running speed and operational viability at the lowest temperatures.
Each vehicle boasts the capability to carry a load of 90 tonnes and sustain operations in extreme cold, withstanding temperatures as low as -40Ā°C.
At the same time, the trucks can deliver 120% of the comprehensive operational efficiency of a manually driven truck.
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 prevent harm to nearby ecosystems.
Autonomous truck operations
Huawei Cloud's Commercial Vehicle Autonomous Driving Cloud Service (CVADCS) supports this initiative by enabling real-time location updates through a crowdsourced mapping system.
This service not only minimises downtime, but also facilitates optimised route selection and elevates overall operational efficiency.
As Chinaās first autonomous truck series devoid of a driverās cabin, these vehicles enhance safety by eliminating personnel exposure to hazardous equipment and challenging environmental conditions.
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 helps to support smooth vehicle-cloud synergy.
Yimin is the first open-pit mine powered by G5-A, achieving 500 Mbps uplink and just 20ms latency.
This network supports HD video backhaul alongside cloud-based dispatching of the autonomous mining trucks.
The advanced 5G tech is set to support 24/7 operations for more than 300 of these vehicles in the future.
Huawei plans to continue working with these partners to transform and upgrade equipment, building mines with lower environmental impact.
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