World's highest mine trials China's 5G-powered unmanned trucks

China has successfully tested domestically built unmanned mining trucks at the Huoshaoyun lead-zinc mine in Xinjiang, located at an altitude of 5,600 meters—higher than the world’s highest permanent settlement. These trucks, integrated with 5G technology, completed ore transport and loading tests, enabling continuous, round-the-clock operations in an environment where low oxygen levels, freezing temperatures, strong winds, and permafrost make manual labor extremely hazardous and inefficient. The use of autonomous vehicles eliminates human exposure to these dangerous conditions, marking a significant breakthrough in intelligent mining within extreme high-altitude environments. The Huoshaoyun mine contains China’s largest and highest-quality lead-zinc reserves, with metal deposits exceeding 21 million tonnes and an estimated economic value of over 370 billion yuan ($52.3 billion). Situated deep in the Kunlun Mountains, the mine’s challenging terrain and “Death Zone” conditions prompted a partnership with Beijing Linghang Zhitu Technology to develop a fully integrated unm