Cutting-edge technology rocks into mining industry

The moves are part of Huawei's broader push to build world-class smart mining solutions that integrate new-generation information technologies, such as 5G, WiFi-6, industrial internet and artificial intelligence, to boost mine safety and green efficiency.

Ren Zhengfei, founder of Huawei, said in an interview in 2021, "In terms of 5G applications, most information and communications technology companies in the world did not choose mines as a point for breakthroughs, but we chose mines."

Ren said China has tens of thousands of mines. If Huawei can achieve smart operations in such mines, the company can also provide such services to mines all over the world.

"We hope that mines will become unmanned in the future. If we can achieve this step, it will be of great significance to Canada and Russia's mining in the Arctic Ocean. The conditions are extremely harsh and not suitable for living, but such rich resources are located there. If unmanned mining is possible, these resources will be better tapped, which will contribute significantly to human society," Ren added.

Governments in China are also rolling out favorable policies to promote the use of digital technologies to ensure safety in mines. In October, the Ministry of Science and Technology, for instance, unveiled a notice on advancing the industrial use of AI technologies with smart mining highlighted as a typical application scenario.

Last year, the National Development and Reform Commission, the nation's top economic regulator, and the National Energy Administration jointly released a 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) for the energy sector, which calls for the wider use of 5G, cloud computing, the internet of things and big data in areas such as coal mines.

Amid the policy call, progress is underway in mines across China. On the bank of Laizhou Bay, the auxiliary shaft of Sanshandao Gold Mine is being excavated toward a target depth of 1,915 meters. Once the excavation is done, the auxiliary shaft will become the deepest shaft project in China and even Asia.

With the gradual deepening of mining, environmental challenges, such as high temperatures, high humidity and low oxygen increasingly weigh on operational safety, with uncertainties such as rock bursts and water gushing also increasing. There is a pressing need to leverage digital technologies to boost security and safety.

Amid such context, Shandong Gold Group has established a three-dimensional visualized comprehensive management and control platform, which has realized the application of visualized intelligent management and control of ore flow in the whole process, unmanned driving of electric locomotives and the remote-controlling of rock drilling jumbos.

As a result, the production efficiency of Sanshandao Gold Mine has increased by more than 20 percent year-on-year and the annual direct economic benefits have reached more than 80 million yuan ($11.6 million), the mine said.