EACON Mining has secured four new projects on minesites owned by the State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC) within the past six months, bringing its total operations at SPIC minesites in northern China to five. These projects it says demonstrate EACON’s product scalability and fast deployment, which allow them to rapidly expand their fleet and build client trust.
The new projects established in 2024 are located in eastern Inner Mongolia and include the Huolinhe North Coal Mine, Huolinhe Zha Coal Mine, Baiyinhua 2 Coal Mine, and Baiyinhua 3 Coal Mine. This expansion follows the Huolinhe South Coal Mine project obtained in 2023.
Eastern Inner Mongolia features abundant rainfall, creating softer road surfaces and deep ruts. This can result in some trucks detecting the ruts as obstacles and stopping in the middle of their paths, disrupting vehicle performance. To resolve this, EACON has developed a feature called deep rut adaptability, allowing vehicles to autonomously monitor ruts and adjust their behaviour to reduce stops.
The total number of EACON’s autonomous haulage trucks (AHTs) across SPIC sites operating autonomously has now exceeded 100, with more than 40 additional units under commissioning. The fleet primarily consists of 90 t class EL100 hybrid trucks introduced together with LGMG, as well as ET100 and ET90 models designed in cooperation with Tonly. These AHTs will be responsible for waste and coal haulage. With three sites already fully operational and two deploying soon, these projects serve as the first step towards fully autonomous operations for these mines.
EACON’s journey began with hands-on operational expertise, serving as a contractor directly managing haulage operations. This approach provided invaluable insight into the challenges faced by mine sites, enabling EACON to develop and refine its products with practical, real-world feedback. By integrating these operational learnings into its technology development, EACON has built a reputation for delivering solutions that are both innovative and highly effective.
Building on its track record of success, EACON says it is now expanding its role as a solutions provider, exemplified by its contributions to the Huolinhe Zha and Baiyinhua 2 Coal Mine projects. This evolution reflects EACON’s commitment to advancing mining efficiency through tailored, technology-driven solutions.
In China, most open-pit mines are coal sites. Since its first POC project in 2019, EACON’s Autonomous Haulage Solution (AHS) for coal mining has matured and is now rapidly scaling in 2024, working with leading enterprises such as TBEA, CHN Energy, and SPIC. EACON is now expanding its AHS to iron ore, copper, and zinc mining.
Looking ahead, the company says it will continue to leverage its expertise in technology and innovation to further expand its operations across commodities, while addressing key challenges faced by mining operations – such as reducing emissions, optimising efficiency, and enhancing safety. EACON concludes that it is well-positioned to lead the next phase of technological evolution, collaborating with leading mining enterprises like SPIC to deliver transformative solutions for the entire industry.
