EACON, a global leader in autonomous mining technology, has marked a significant milestone with the successful deployment of its autonomous haulage system at China’s Julong Copper Mine, a subsidiary of Zijin Mining. This site, home to one of the world’s top five copper deposits, presents a formidable operational environment, with haul roads ranging from 4,000 to 5,400 meters above sea level. The extreme cold, low oxygen levels, and rugged terrain have long posed severe challenges to both personnel and equipment, with driver recruitment and retention being a persistent bottleneck.
To address these issues, Julong Copper Mine initiated the adoption of autonomous haulage, awarding EACON the contract for the project. In the first phase of deployment, EACON’s system has been successfully launched, with five 100-tonne wide-body autonomous dump trucks now operating alongside seven 200-tonne manned rigid dump trucks. This mixed fleet deployment has recorded zero safety incidents to date, a testament to the system’s robustness and reliability.
“The introduction of autonomous haul trucks at such altitude and under these conditions is a milestone for industry safety and productivity,” said the Mine Superintendent at Julong Copper Mine. “It has removed the need for drivers to work in extreme environments, significantly enhancing safety while easing operational constraints.”
Building on this success, Phase Two of the project is now underway. EACON is retrofitting 240-tonne mining trucks and rolling out ORCASTRA® CONDUCTOR, its intelligent fleet management system, to coordinate mixed brands and sizes of autonomy trucks across multiple mining zones. The company will also extend its technology to the Zhibula Copper Mine, another Julong-operated site. Here, 60 factory-fitted, battery-electric wide-body autonomous trucks will be deployed, marking a significant step forward in both electrification and autonomy.
Due to narrower roads and a strong commitment to emissions reduction, Zhibula is set to become a flagship site for Zijin’s sustainability goals and corporate responsibility initiatives. This program underscores the strength of EACON’s OEM-agnostic architecture, which supports both retrofit and factory-fitted autonomy across diesel and electric platforms, even in the world’s most extreme mining environments.
EACON’s solution integrates autonomous driving, electric powertrains, and intelligent scheduling, enabling mines to reduce safety risks, improve fleet efficiency, and accelerate their transition toward sustainable operations. By proving reliable autonomous haulage in one of the world’s highest and harshest sites, EACON is setting new benchmarks for safety, resilience, and sustainability in global mining.
This development is poised to shape the future of the mining sector in several ways. Firstly, it demonstrates the viability of autonomous haulage in extreme environments, potentially unlocking previously inaccessible mineral resources. Secondly, it highlights the role of autonomy in enhancing safety and mitigating operational constraints, such as driver recruitment and retention. Lastly, it underscores the potential of autonomy to support the mining industry’s transition towards sustainability, through reduced emissions and improved efficiency.
As the mining industry continues to grapple with the challenges of resource depletion, safety, and sustainability, EACON’s success at Julong Copper Mine offers a compelling case study in the transformative potential of autonomous technology. The coming years will be critical in determining how widely and rapidly these technologies are adopted, and what impact they will have on the sector’s future trajectory.