China Tests Unmanned Mining Trucks at an Altitude of 5,600 Meters
China has announced the successful testing of unmanned mining trucks at the Huoshaoyun deposit in Xinjiang, located 5,600 meters above sea level. According to Interesting Engineering, this mine sits higher than the highest permanently inhabited location on Earth. The Huoshaoyun deposit contains the largest and highest-quality lead and zinc reserves ever discovered in China. Reports indicate that the Chinese-developed unmanned trucks successfully completed transportation and loading trials. Equipped with 5G technology, these autonomous vehicles enable round-the-clock operations — a critical advantage at the highest-altitude mine in the world.
The mine is situated in a remote area of the Kunlun Mountains — at a higher elevation than La Rinconada in Peru, the world’s highest permanently inhabited settlement, home to about 30,000 people at roughly 5,100 meters. With over 21 million tons of confirmed metal reserves, the deposit ranks among the world’s largest lead-zinc resources.
At such an altitude, the oxygen level is only half of what it is at sea level. The extreme environment — freezing temperatures, powerful winds, and permafrost — makes traditional manual labor not only extremely dangerous but also highly inefficient.
In simple terms, it is a “death zone” for prolonged human work. The use of unmanned trucks eliminates the risk for workers who would otherwise have to operate in these deadly conditions.
To address the “death zone” challenge, the mine operator partnered with Beijing Linghang Zhitu Technology to create a fully integrated unmanned mining system. The Chinese trucks have proved they do not make mistakes.
