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Taihe Iron Ore Mine
Location: Southwest China
Commodity: Iron Ore
Solution: Factory-fit battery-electric vehicles developed by SANY
Client: Xichang Mining, a subsidiary of BAOWU
In December 2024, EACON deployed a fleet of autonomous battery-electric trucks at the Taihe Iron Ore Mine, marking its entry into the iron ore sector. In this first phase, 70-ton SANY electric trucks were equipped with EACON’s ORCASTRA® autonomous haulage system.
The project presented unique challenges, including mixed traffic across complex areas such as crushers and intersections, and tight loading zones shared with conventionally-operated trucks — making it the industry's first project integrating mixed loading, traffic, and dumping coordination.
Since commissioning, the initial fleet has recorded zero safety incidents, an average monthly haulage output of approximately 430,000 tonne-kilometres, and an average loaded operating distance of around 10,000 kilometres per vehicle, with autonomous trucks handling approximately 40% of the mine's raw ore haulage.
In March 2026, a repeat order of 12 additional battery-electric trucks was commissioned, bringing the total fleet to 18 autonomous vehicles. This expansion reflects strong operational confidence in the system and further supports the mine's transition toward intelligent, low-emission operations.
