On May 13th, a significant breakthrough was achieved in the application of hydrogen energy in the mining scene. The first hydrogen battery off-road wide-body dump truck (referred to as “hydrogen wide-body vehicle”) of Eacon officially landed for testing and operation at Baoli Coal Mine in Inner Mongolia. This is the mining industry’s first hydrogen haulage truck, further promoting the demonstrative application of hydrogen energy in the transportation field and providing new ideas for the construction of green mine.
As an important exploration of hydrogen energy in the field of transportation, Eacon becomes the first to take the lead in using hydrogen wide-body vehicles for testing and operation in Baoli Coal Mine, Inner Mongolia. This hydrogen-powered wide-body vehicle was jointly developed by Shaanxi Tongli Heavy Industry Co., Ltd. (referred to as “Tongli Heavy Industry”) and Foshan Xianhu Laboratory and Foshan Xianhu Hydrogen Electric Technology Co., Ltd. The vehicle is 10.8 meters long, 3.7 meters wide, 4.2 meters high, with a total weight of 100 tons and a load capacity of 70 tons. The on-site operation test of the hydrogen wide-body vehicle signifies a breakthrough in the key technological difficulties of hydrogen energy in the field of transportation.
The developer of China’s first hydrogen wide-body vehicle, Chief Engineer Mou Junfa of Shaanxi Tongli Heavy Industry, stated, “The successful landing and operation test of the first hydrogen wide-body vehicle is of great significance to the entire industry. Tongli Heavy Industry and Eacon have found the scenario for the practical application of hydrogen energy in mechanical engineering, and will promote the development and maturity of the entire industry from the perspective of terminal application. As a technology-based company, Eacon has always focused on the direction and achievements of industry technological progress. Over the past few years, we have maintained good cooperation with Shaanxi Tongli Heavy Industry in new energy technology, autonomous technology application, etc. Based on common value pursuit and complementary advantages, we believe that in the next 1-2 years, we will establish standards and regulations for hydrogen energy in the mining transportation scenario, promoting the wide application of hydrogen energy in the industry.”
The landing test of the hydrogen wide-body vehicle provides a new solution for the realization of the “dual carbon” goal and the construction of “green mine”. Mou Junfa emphasized, “Advanced electric drive technology provides a more convenient, flexible, and maneuverable vehicle platform for the development of autonomous technology. However, lithium batteries have three major pain points in the application on mining vehicles: poor low-temperature performance, large battery size occupying too much vehicle capacity, and long charging time leading to short vehicle effective working time. Hydrogen fuel cells can perfectly solve the above-mentioned pain points. Moreover, the abundant wind and solar resources in mine, the geographic conditions of being far away from towns and open ventilation, and the relatively fixed haulage routes of mining vehicles also solve the three major pain points of hydrogen price, hydrogen safety, and hydrogen transportation. Hydrogen battery, advanced electric drive technology, and comprehensive by-wire chassis technology are expected to better serve the evolution and promotion of autonomous technology, enabling the establishment of a new development pattern for green and intelligent mine in China.”
“Building green mine is an inevitable trend. We need to increase green and reduce carbon in multiple aspects, including stripping, mining, and haulage, and explore a new path of ecological priority and green intelligent development. As an important part, transportation is the focus of our transformation and upgrading. Our business partner, Eacon, has pressed the fast forward button for reducing carbon emissions and increasing green measures. They are the first in the industry to apply hydrogen energy to transportation, reducing carbon emissions while exploring new paths for efficiency improvement. We look forward to future large-scale implementation,” added Zhao Wei, President of Huawei Mining.
Currently, focused on the transformation, upgrading, and sustainable development of mines, Eacon adheres to the mission of “make transportation easier” and continuously refines its technology to form a data closed-loop through operational integration into real scenes. It strives to empower the mining industry with a main line and multiple entry points. As a leading domestic provider of autononomous full-stack technology and solutions, Eacon has formed a autonomous mining system with four integrated parts: a dispatch and command platform with supporting dispatch centers, single-vehicle autonomous systems, network communication systems, collaborative operation systems. It has conducted 7*24-hour routine operation trials in large open-pit mines such as the National Energy Group and TBEA, becoming the first autonomous driving company to enter real operating scenes.
The landing test and operation of the hydrogen wide-body vehicle is another major breakthrough in the technological empowerment of the mining industry by Eacon, opening a new page for solving transportation power and creating green mine. Technological iteration is a process from quantitative change to qualitative change. With the continuous accumulation of hydrogen energy and autonomous technology, it is believed that a new round of industrial revolution will sweep through the mining industry.