EACON Mining Technology, the global autonomous haulage solution provider, and Tibet Julong Copper Co Ltd, a subsidiary of Zijin Mining Group, have reached a major milestone at the Zhibula Copper Mine in China, with 60 SANY battery-electric wide body mining trucks now operating with EACON’s autonomous technology at more than 5,400 m above sea level.
The project combines autonomous haulage with battery-electric technology to improve operational efficiency, reduce operator exposure and lower carbon emissions in a challenging high-altitude environment.
Operating above 5,000 m presents challenges including low atmospheric pressure and oxygen levels, strong ultraviolet radiation, and demanding working conditions. These conditions can make it difficult to maintain a stable workforce and increase personnel exposure to high-altitude environments, creating a strong case for autonomous haulage.
At the same time, the environment presents significant technical challenges for autonomous operation. Freeze-thaw road conditions can make haul roads wet and slippery, while snowfall and glare from snow and ice can complicate vehicle perception and control. The mine’s mountainous terrain, steep haul roads and complex traffic patterns add further complexity to autonomous operation.
EACON’s autonomous haulage solution uses capabilities including multi-sensor fusion and adaptive vehicle control to support operation in challenging environmental conditions. At Zhibula, these capabilities were applied and validated under the mine’s high-altitude operating conditions, supporting autonomous operation at elevations above 5,400 m.
The Zhibula project began in September 2025, when the 60 battery-electric mining trucks arrived onsite. The trucks initially entered manned operation while autonomous functionality was introduced and validated onsite. The maturity of EACON’s autonomous haulage solution, combined with close coordination with Julong Copper, enabled validation for autonomous operation without safety drivers to be completed within two weeks.
Following the initial validation, autonomous operation was progressively introduced in line with the mine’s operational schedule and site readiness. By March 2026, 52 battery-electric trucks had achieved regular autonomous operation. By the end of September 2026, site-wide autonomous operation was achieved for all 60 battery-electric trucks at the Zhibula Copper Mine.
In parallel with the Zhibula battery-electric deployment, EACON is also retrofitting autonomous technology on 18 NHL NTE240 rigid dump trucks at the adjacent Julong Copper Mine, which is also operated by Julong Copper. The 220 t trucks are progressively being retrofitted and completing validation for operation without safety drivers, with some of the fleet now operating autonomously onsite.
Together, the two deployments demonstrate EACON’s ability to support both factory-fitted battery-electric haul trucks and retrofitted diesel rigid dump trucks through its OEM-agnostic autonomous haulage architecture in the world’s most extreme mining environments.
The 60-truck deployment combines battery-electric haulage with autonomous operation at Zhibula Copper Mine. It represents China’s largest single-site autonomous haulage fleet at a metal mine, as well as the world’s first site-wide battery-electric autonomous haulage project above 5,000 m.
By combining electrification with autonomous haulage, the project is helping improve operational efficiency while reducing the number of personnel required to work directly in the high-altitude, low-oxygen environment. Project data has indicated an 80% reduction in driver requirements and a 16% increase in daily effective working hours.
The 60 all-electric autonomous trucks are also expected to reduce carbon emissions by approximately 12,000 t annually, helping Julong Copper achieve their goal of building greener, safer, and more efficient mining operations. By proving reliable autonomous haulage in some of the world’s most challenging sites, EACON says it is setting new benchmarks for safety, resilience, and sustainability in global mining.
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