EACON, a worldwide chief in autonomous mining expertise, has efficiently deployed its autonomous haulage system at Julong Copper Mine, a subsidiary of Zijin Mining and now dwelling to the most important copper reserve in China.
Positioned in a high-altitude copper cluster in western China, Julong Copper Mine spans a number of deposits together with Julong and Zhibula. As one of many world’s high 5 copper deposits, it represents a cornerstone of China’s essential mineral provide. Haul roads at Julong vary from 4,000 to five,400 m above sea stage, the place excessive chilly, low oxygen, and rugged terrain pose extreme challenges to each personnel and gear. Recruiting and retaining drivers at this altitude has lengthy been a bottleneck for operations.
To deal with these challenges, the mine operator initiated the adoption of autonomous haulage. EACON was lately awarded the contract, and within the first part of deployment, its system has been efficiently launched on the Julong web site. 5 100 t wide-body autonomous dump vehicles now function alongside seven 200 t manned inflexible dump vehicles, sharing haul roads below dwell manufacturing situations. The combined fleet deployment has recorded zero security incidents thus far.
“To introduce autonomous haul vehicles at such altitude and below these situations is a milestone for business security and productiveness,” mentioned the Mine Superintendent at Julong Copper Mine. “It has eliminated the necessity for drivers to work in excessive environments, considerably enhancing security whereas easing operational constraints.”
Constructing on this success, Part Two of the mission is now underway. EACON is retrofitting 240 t mining vehicles and rolling out ORCASTRA® CONDUCTOR, its clever fleet administration system, to coordinate combined model and measurement of autonomy vehicles throughout a number of mining zones.
Subsequent, the corporate will prolong its expertise to the Zhibula Copper Mine, additionally operated by Julong. Right here, 60 factory-fitted, battery-electric wide-body autonomous vehicles shall be deployed – a big step ahead in each electrification and autonomy. Resulting from narrower roads and a robust dedication to emissions discount, Zhibula is ready to grow to be a flagship web site for Zijin’s sustainability targets and company duty initiatives.
This program highlights the energy of EACON’s OEM-agnostic structure, which helps each retrofit and factory-fitted autonomy throughout diesel and electrical platforms – even on the earth’s most excessive mining environments. EACON’s resolution integrates autonomous driving, electrical powertrains, and clever scheduling, enabling mines to scale back security dangers, enhance fleet effectivity, and speed up their transition towards sustainable operations.
By proving dependable autonomous haulage in one of many world’s highest and harshest websites, EACON says it’s setting new benchmarks for security, resilience, and sustainability in world mining.
