Lead-zinc mine in Kunlun Mountains of Xinjiang sits at an altitude surpassing the world's highest human settlement, in the Peruvian Andes. — SCMP
China is building the world’s highest unmanned mine at a forbidding altitude of 5,600 metres (18,372 feet), higher than the world’s highest known inhabited settlement.
At the Huoshaoyun lead-zinc mine in Hotan county, Xinjiang, domestically developed unmanned mining trucks have successfully completed ore loading and transport testing, according to the state-owned Science and Technology Daily.
These machines can operate round the clock, eliminating the risk to workers of exposure to the low-oxygen, frigid conditions of high-altitude environments. This stands as a testament to humanity’s ability to access zones fraught with physiological hazards and effectively harness their resources.
This achievement “marks a major breakthrough in China’s intelligent mining development within high-altitude extreme environments, contributing an advanced ‘Chinese solution’ to global plateau mineral resource exploitation, the Science and Technology Daily said in its December 1 report.
The world’s highest settlement is La Rinconada, a small town nestled in the Peruvian Andes that is home to around 30,000 people. Most of its population are gold miners working in nearby mines and their families, settled at a frigid altitude of between 5,090 and 5,300 metres.
China has discovered its finest and largest reserves of lead-zinc deposits to date deep within the Kunlun Mountains, at altitudes even higher than La Rinconada.
The Xinjiang Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources announced the discovery of this world-class, super-large lead-zinc deposit in September 2016, according to an article last year on Tianshannet, the official news website of the western Chinese region.
Current exploration indicates that the site’s metal reserves exceed 21 million tonnes, making it the sixth-largest lead-zinc deposit in the world, with an estimated economic value of over 370bil yuan (US$52.3bil).
However, the development and utilisation of the find pose significant challenges.
Traditional manual ore loading and transport are not just immensely labour-intensive but also pose significant safety hazards under such conditions.
To address these issues, operator Huoshaoyun Lead-zinc Mine Company partnered with Beijing Linghang Zhitu Technology Company – a subsidiary of the state-owned China Railway 19th Bureau Group – to develop unmanned mining trucks.
According to the Science and Technology Daily report, the intelligent mining transport system integrates cutting-edge technologies such as multi-sensor fusion perception and 5G-enabled cloud network vehicle coordination.
These technologies enable the trucks to recognise obstacles and operational markers precisely and plan optimal routes in real time. They can also navigate the mine’s complex terrain, with its steep gradients, sharp bends and uneven surfaces.
Meanwhile, the system’s safety net has been further reinforced through the installation of real-time remote simulation cockpits. In an emergency, safety personnel can take control of the mining trucks remotely and execute precise interventions from thousands of miles away.
They can accurately control vehicle steering, braking and loading or unloading procedures using 360-degree panoramic footage transmitted by high-definition cameras.
“With the deployment of unmanned mining trucks, the site can achieve round-the-clock continuous operations, significantly boosting transport efficiency while eliminating personnel exposure to the potential hazards of the high-altitude environment,” the official newspaper concluded.
The mine plans to further expand its fleet of autonomous equipment, including enabling the remote operation of excavators. Ultimately, the entire “loading-transport-dumping” workflow is expected to be fully unmanned. – South China Morning Post
