Shenyan Coal’s Unmanned Mining Trucks Overburden Removal Volume Topped 10 Million Cubic Meters

As of November 3, unmanned mining trucks at the Xiwan Open-Pit Coal Mine of China Shenhua's Shenyan Coal had hauled a cumulative 10.4166 million cubic meters of overburden, up nearly 49% year on year. This digital and intelligent production achievement has provided solid support for energy supply security.

Overburden removal is a preparatory process in open-pit coal mining and directly affects the continuity of mining sequences. Focusing on the full process of mining, hauling, and dumping, the Mine has integrated unmanned driving technology into production organization. In the loading stage, it has adopted a "one shovel for multiple trucks" collaborative operation model, dynamically matching excavation and transport capacity to reduce truck queuing. In the hauling stage, it plans optimal routes for loaded and empty trucks with science-based approaches, enabling the unmanned fleet to shift from segmented operations to efficient long-cycle continuous operations. In the dumping stage, it strictly implements fixed-point dumping, coordinates with standardized bulldozer leveling, and strictly controls dump elevation. With efficient linkage across all stages, operating efficiency has steadily improved.

Stable equipment operation depends on solid operation and maintenance support. The Mine has improved a full-chain operation and maintenance system featuring "per-shift review, dedicated maintenance, and closed-loop rectification." It also relies on industrial video and regional early warning systems for continuous visual monitoring, with automatic speed reduction and risk avoidance in emergencies. It continues to optimize its integrated 5G and 4G network layout, eliminate signal blind spots, and improve system online availability.

Compared with traditional manual driving, unmanned mining trucks enable long periods of continuous cyclic operation, effectively reducing safety risks from human operation and accelerating the mine's transition to digital-intelligent, and reduced-manpower operations.