Boonray Technology presented its green and intelligent mine upgrade solution at the Conference on the Integration and Application of Autonomous Driving and Safety Production in the Mining Field.

The Second Conference on the Integrated Application of Autonomous Driving and Work Safety in Mining was recently held in Wuhu, Anhui Province. Zhao Xinhuan, Senior Product Director of Boonray Technology, delivered a presentation titled "Intelligent + Zero Carbon + 5G Integrated Applications in Open-Pit Mining Scenarios" to over 100 leading experts and representatives from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and other relevant national departments, renowned mine owners, and universities and research institutes. He closely aligned himself with national industrial policies promoting intelligent and green mining and analyzed specific solutions for industrial upgrading.

 Image source: TIAA Car Alliance official

[Pioneering Mine Vehicle Insurance to Support Industry Standard Development]

This conference focused on autonomous driving and safe production in the mining sector, inviting experts and leaders in the field to discuss and share topics such as "How advanced technologies such as autonomous driving are being introduced into the mining sector to improve mine safety and operational efficiency."

On the same day, Boonray Technology Alliance for Autonomous Vehicles (TIAA) released its first eight-part group standard, "Safety Requirements for Unmanned and Automated Operations in Open-Pit Mines." By analyzing the current status of unmanned driving standards documents published domestically and internationally and drawing on the experience of unmanned operations in multiple mines, the standard defines the safety responsibilities and obligations of units and personnel at all stages. The standard also officially launched the development of the TIAA open-pit mine intelligent transportation and collaborative operation standard system.

   Zhao Xinhuan, Senior Product Director of Boonray Technology. Image source: TIAA Car Connect official website

While deeply researching and developing autonomous driving technology, Boonray Technology is also placing a strong emphasis on commercialization, striving to create mass-produced autonomous mining trucks. To minimize decision-making costs for mine owners, Boonray Technology partnered with China Pacific Property & Casualty Insurance in July 2021 to launch the "Smart Autonomous Mining Truck Insurance." This product, a first in the autonomous driving industry, includes both damage and third-party liability insurance, similar to conventional auto insurance, with coverage up to 10 million yuan depending on the model. This insurance policy is a prerequisite for the implementation of new products in mining areas, where safety is paramount. As a leading domestic insurance institution, China Pacific Insurance Group is able to customize insurance for Boonray's products thanks to its solid operational experience and road test data accumulated at leading mining companies such as Luoyang Molybdenum and Jiugang.

[Green + Autonomous: Building Safe Zero-Carbon Mines]

At the conference, Pang Chunlin, Secretary-General of the Telematics Association (TIAA), presented eight trends in the integration of industrialization and informatization in mining, focusing on technology, products, business, and operations. Among them:

"Automated mining and unmanned transportation services may become independent outsourced businesses."

"C-V2X and 5G will become the primary communication support for automated mining and transportation."

"Automatic, intelligent, and unmanned vehicles will become the mainstream transportation platform in mines."

"Perception, transmission, decision-making, and execution technology systems will fully cover mines."

"Carbon neutrality and carbon peak will accelerate the pace of informatization and electrification in mines."

All five trends are highly aligned with Boonray Technology's core business and future technological advancements.

      Zhao Xinhuan, Senior Product Director of Boonray Technology. Image source: TIAA Car Connect official website

Zhao Xinhuan mentioned in his presentation that State Power Investment Corporation, one of my country's five largest energy groups with a high proportion of clean energy, is also a strategic investor in Boonray Technology. In addition to providing financial support, it can also provide Boonray Technology with green electricity, such as wind and solar power, for its mining operations, helping the mine achieve zero carbon emissions.

The autonomous pure electric mining truck jointly developed by the two parties is equipped with a high-performance power battery, dual motors, a 4AMT transmission, and a Boonray autonomous driving kit. It supports unmanned mining transportation with a maximum climbing gradient of 40% and a fully loaded speed of 25 km/h, making it fully adaptable to complex road conditions. It also incorporates electric braking energy recovery technology, which recycles braking energy during downhill driving back into the battery, partially recycling the electricity. Compared to fuel-powered mining trucks, it can save up to 80% in energy consumption when driving downhill and 40% when driving uphill. This approach reduces operating costs while improving energy efficiency and accelerating the transition to electrification. Electric vehicles are more compatible with autonomous driving systems, achieving lower carbon emissions and environmental protection while maintaining the same production efficiency, which is the future development direction.

Boonray Technology and State Power Investment Corporation jointly developed an electric mining truck that can easily overtake fuel mining trucks on uphill slopes.

Pang Chunlin also stated at the meeting that, faced with the opportunities and challenges presented by the "dual carbon" goals, the energy-intensive mining industry must intensify its industrial restructuring and drive its low-carbon transformation through digitalization and informatization. Furthermore, the advocacy of green mine construction and clean energy utilization will complement each other, promoting the green and low-carbon transformation of the mining industry, the efficient and conserving utilization of energy resources, and the intelligent transformation of mining production. This will also promote the widespread use of electric equipment in the construction of intelligent mining systems.

[Technology and Implementation Go Hand in Hand: Practice Promotes the Transformation of the Mining Industry]

Pang Chunlin also noted that autonomous driving technology is flourishing in fully enclosed or semi-open mining areas, with numerous demonstration projects emerging that are worthy of global industry reference.

Boray Technology, the first provider of autonomous driving solutions to implement "vehicle-shovel linkage" technology in mining areas, is collaborating with Huawei to support Jiugang Group's "three transformations," reducing costs and increasing efficiency, and improving quality and efficiency, thereby achieving safe operations. Jiugang Group, founded in 1958, was one of the key construction projects during the country's First Five-Year Plan. It is the largest carbon steel and stainless steel production base in Northwest my country and has established a diversified industrial structure.

Jiugang Xigou Mine Remote Dispatching Center

The Xigou Mining open-pit mine of the Jiugang Group is located at an altitude of over 3,400 meters, subject to harsh and unpredictable weather. Boonray Technology has enabled automated driving, remote control, and vehicle-shovel linkage for over 14 years of old mining trucks and shovels in extreme conditions, including severe cold, snow, fog, and dust. The project organizers explained that Boonray Technology was initially faced with two nearly obsolete mining trucks. After Boonray's intelligent transformation, these two old mining trucks were transformed from spare vehicles into operational production equipment.

In addition, Boonray Technology's "Boonray Multi-Transport Intelligent Solution for Open-pit Mines" has been deployed in key mining areas in Inner Mongolia, Gansu, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Zhejiang, Sichuan, Henan, and Xinjiang, helping the mining industry achieve industrial upgrades such as safe production, energy conservation and emission reduction, and cost reduction and efficiency improvement.