Build green mines, major mining enterprises increase the use of new energy mining machinery

In recent years, the green development of China's mining industry has significantly accelerated, and the development of mineral resources under the premise of protecting ecology has become a conscious action and inevitable choice. The construction of green mines has become a vivid practice of ecological civilization construction in the mining industry. The "14th Five Year Plan" proposes that we unswervingly implement the new development concept and promote high-quality development as the theme, which not only provides new growth space for China's mining development, but also puts forward clear requirements and directions for China to accelerate the construction of a modern mining system and put green development throughout the entire process and all aspects of mining construction. To this end, major mining enterprises in China have begun to increase the use of new energy mining machinery and accelerate the digital transformation of "green, safe, harmonious, intelligent, and efficient" mines.
In May 2021, the "oil to electricity" project for mining trucks at the Yulong Copper Mine in Tibet was officially put into operation. The project includes two fully automatic intelligent switching stations and 40 90-ton pure electric wide body mining trucks, making it the world's highest altitude pure electric heavy truck operation demonstration project. In September of the same year, the largest pure electric mining wide body truck with a capacity of 60 tons was officially put into operation in Yimin Open Pit Mine. The staff stated that the practice of replacing electric trucks has achieved significant results. In terms of vehicle performance, automatic transmission control is simpler, noise is reduced, and power is superior to traditional vehicles, which can meet the needs of safe and stable production in the mine. In January 2022, Jiangxi Copper signed an agreement with Tage Zhixing. The two parties will combine the actual situation of Dexing Copper Mine, based on a localized driverless transportation technology system, carry out unmanned transformation of existing electric wheel mining cards, deploy the software and hardware of the driverless transportation system, achieve collaborative production operations between driverless vehicles, electric shovels, bulldozers, and mixed operation with manned vehicles. From the perspective of safety, production capacity, and manpower, Jiangxi Copper and Tage Zhixing will use unmanned driving technology to "tailor" one by one solve practical problems such as special weather conditions faced by Dexing Copper Mine.
In addition, some foreign mining enterprises have also ordered to purchase electric mining vehicles. In July 2021, Zijin Mining of Serbia ordered 4 sets of NTE240 electric wheel mining vehicles from Northern Stock. The NTE240 electric wheel mining vehicles have the characteristics of high efficiency, low consumption, high reliability, and the lowest operating cost in the safe life cycle. Currently, both parties have completed assembly and commissioning and officially delivered them; Vale will purchase electric mining trucks from XCMG for transportation of iron ore in mines. The two companies have signed a memorandum of cooperation. According to the agreement, XCMG will produce two zero emission battery driven mining trucks with a load capacity of 72 tons in the first half of 2022, and deliver them to Vale for mine testing. In addition, a zero emission electric mining car with a load capacity of 240 tons that Vale has purchased in advance will also be delivered for testing at the agreed time.
It can be seen that the demand for electric mining vehicles by domestic and foreign mining enterprises continues to rise, and there are huge potential business opportunities for electric mining vehicles in the future. According to industry professionals, electric mining engineering vehicles will usher in explosive growth. It is expected that the automation and electrification of mining vehicles will reach a market scale of 100 billion yuan from 2025 to 2030, and the entire new energy mining machinery industry chain in China will benefit accordingly.