In November 2020, the EACON autonomous driving project with the South Pit of TBEA embarked on a journey of safe operations that has now surpassed 30 months. We proudly announce the upcoming deployment of 100 new hybrid trucks, marking a significant milestone in our expansion.
We collaborated closely with the OEM to design and build these hybrid vehicles. EACON Mining designed the EEA (Electrical and Electronic Architecture), the specifications for the range-extender, battery and motor systems, and the control strategies of trucks. Compared to conventional fuel vehicles with the same payload capacity, our hybrid vehicles can achieve fuel savings of over 20%.
Since its inception, the South Pit autonomy project has achieved remarkable progress:
1. Impressive Milestones: As of May 2023, the South Pit alone has witnessed a cumulative distance traveled of 1.09 million kilometers, making it the longest accumulated mileage project in China. We have seamlessly transitioned from single-fleet operations, to six autonomous mining truck fleets since June 2022. The increase in fleet size is still ongoing, and the increase enables stable increases in production capacity.
2. Diverse Operational Scenarios: We have successfully adapted to various mining environments. Our solutions have proven their adaptability and reliability in challenging conditions, enduring extreme heatwaves, freezing winters, and harsh wind and sand environments. Through these rigorous on-site operations in South Pit, our autonomous mining trucks have demonstrated their capability to operate effectively in diverse and demanding scenarios.
3. Vehicle Upgrades: As our client TBEA increases its rated production capacity from 35mt/y to 40mt/y, we are also enhancing our production capacity through vehicle upsizing to meet their growing demands. Our fleet is currently undergoing an upgrade from conventional fuel vehicles with a capacity of 70 tons to extended-range hybrid haul trucks with a capacity of 100 tons.
As we look to the future, EACON remains committed to innovation and efficiency in autonomous mining operations. By the end of July, we will introduce an additional 100 autonomous mining vehicles at the South Pit, marking a groundbreaking milestone of over 100 autonomous trucks deployed in a single mine.
Stay tuned as we continue to pioneer advancements in the autonomous mining industry, driving operational safety, productivity, and sustainability.