The National Energy Administration released the 2025 Top Ten Scientific and Technological Innovations in the Energy Industry. The unmanned transportation system for ultra-large open-pit coal mines, led by China Shenhua’s Zhunneng Group, was successfully selected. As the main research and development entity of the project, Zhunneng Group has advanced the commercialization, application and promotion of technological achievements. It achieved simultaneous improvement in safety and efficiency with the total cumulative stripping volume of 3.9098 million cubic meters, and the total operating mileage exceeding 1.95 million kilometers, setting a benchmark for the digital and intelligent transformation of the industry.
At present, digital and intelligent transformation has become a core path to address safety challenges in coal mine and enhance production efficiency. Facing the long-existing issues of transportation in open-pit coal mines, such as complex working conditions, high safety risks and difficulties in efficiency enhancement, Zhunneng Group took the initiative to shoulder its main responsibility for corporate innovation, and committed to bringing cutting-edge technologies to mining operations. It adapted and optimized the system according to the operation characteristics of its ultra-large open-pit coal mines, and fully translated technological advantages into production efficiency. The system conquered core technologies including precise by-wire control of super-large-tonnage mining trucks and accurate navigation acoss complex terrain, performing excellently in actual operation. A 300-tonne mining truck realized high-precision parking with a lateral error margin within 0.15 meters. The system ensured accurate path tracking and safe driving even on unpaved mine roads with low visibility, sudden slopes and frequent curves.
During large-scale application, Zhunneng Group delivered outstanding results through scientific deployment and strict operation management. Up to now, Zhunneng Group has completed the deployment of unmanned functions on 124 mining trucks, with about 40 trucks in normal operation, achieving integrated unmanned operation of mining, transportation and dumping. Since the system application, the operation has maintained “zero safety accidents”, greatly reducing labor intensity and safety risks for frontline operators. The maximum comprehensive transportation efficiency has increased to 110.51%. The unmanned transportation system at Heidaigou Open-pit Coal Mine has set multiple industry records, including the widest vehicle adaptability, the largest single-truck load and the highest single-group transportation capacity. It mainly adopted domestic equipment, with overall performance reaching a leading domestic level. In addition, Zhunneng Group has accumulated rich operation experience, and participated in the formulation of over 11 standards for unmanned transportation operation systems, providing replicable and referable practical examples for the promotion and application of similar technologies in the industry.
The system’s selection as one of the 2025 Top Ten Scientific and Technological Innovation Achievements in the Energy Industry represented high recognition of cutting-edge technologies, and fully affirmed Zhunneng Group’s technological application capability and innovative operation expertise. Through efficient technology transformation and in-depth implementation, Zhunneng Group not only achieved a leap forward in mine intelligence, but also changed the situation where China’s high-end applications of open-pit coal mine robotic autonomous operation systems relied on imported technologies. It has provided a China solution of “application first, efficiency priority” for the digital and intelligent transformation of traditional mines.
