In recent years, Chinese coal enterprises have actively promoted the clean and efficient utilization of coal, continuously improved mining technology, promoted industrial transformation and upgrading, and stimulated new development vitality. CCTV's "Morning News" takes the Zhuneng Heidaigou open-pit coal mine as an example to report in depth on how intelligent coal mines can achieve "acceleration". Among them, Zhongke Huituo's unmanned driving project deployed in the Zhuneng Heidaigou open-pit coal mine has received key coverage from CCTV.
Under the lens of CCTV, at the Zhuneng Heidaigou open-pit coal mine site, unmanned mining trucks with a load capacity of over 300 tons are operating in an orderly manner on the established route, moving forward, backward, and stopping. The operation is extremely smooth. "At present, we have achieved new achievements in safety, zero accidents, no waiting for operations, low emissions in transportation, and fewer intelligent personnel," said Erde Mutu, Deputy Director of the Mechanical and Electrical Management Department of the State Energy Group, in an interview with CCTV reporters.
The Zhuneng Heidaigou open-pit coal mine is the first large-scale open-pit coal mine in China to design and construct independently, with an annual output exceeding 30 million tons. It has the only and largest bucket shovel in Asia, and the largest mining truck with a load capacity of 363 tons in China, setting multiple records for the largest single pit production and the best equipment efficiency in the country. However, the challenges of unmanned transformation are also relatively large, such as multiple truck models, large tonnage, outdated vehicles, and two electric shovels operating independently at the same level, which are all urgent problems that need to be solved.
Since 2020, Zhongke Huituo has teamed up with Aerospace Heavy Industry to accompany Guoneng Zhuneng Group in promoting unmanned mining construction, and has overcome multiple difficulties faced by Zhuneng Group's Heidaigou open-pit coal mine and Harwusu open-pit coal mine. With advanced control technology, Zhongke Huituo effectively solves the differences in response between different mines, which restrict the accuracy and stability of unmanned driving operation. And by using intelligent scheduling and management technology, it ensures the reasonable and balanced utilization of all loading areas, avoiding overcrowding in one area or excessive idleness in another, and maximizing production efficiency.
Currently, the autonomous driving project of Zhuneng Group has achieved great results overall. As of now, a total of 63 autonomous trucks have been renovated and 152 sets of collaborative operation equipment have been installed. Breaking through the technical difficulties of multi vehicle collaborative loading and multi vehicle multi-point disposal, the single vehicle loading time is shortened by 50 seconds, the unloading time is shortened by 60 seconds, and the overall efficiency is improved by 10%. At the same time, based on innovative models in management, technology, and support, the operational efficiency of unmanned trucks has been effectively improved. Without a safety officer, both mines have achieved normalized operation of three formations and three shifts of unmanned trucks. Among them, the Heidaigou coal mine under the lens of CCTV's "Morning News" and the unmanned vehicle transformed by Zhongke Huituo transported 35000 vehicles from May to October 2023, completing a stripping volume of 4.071 million cubic meters and a transportation distance of 153000 kilometers.
With the support of Zhongke Huituo, the autonomous driving project of Zhuneng Group is also the first research project in China with the largest tonnage, quantity, brand, and model of autonomous mining dump trucks. It plays a demonstration and leading role in further promoting mechanized personnel replacement, automated personnel reduction, and intelligent unmanned operation. Next, Zhongke Huituo will continue to assist Zhuneng Group in achieving unmanned driving of the entire mine by 2025.
Accelerating the construction of intelligent mining is not only an important support for ensuring the high-quality development of the coal industry, but also an important measure and effective means to achieve energy security and promote the green and low-carbon transformation and development of energy. Afterwards, Zhongke Huituo will continue to leverage its technological advantages and work with mining enterprises such as Guoneng Zhuneng Group to embark on a high-quality development path for coal enterprises in the new era.
