As the primary energy source in China, coal plays an irreplaceable role in ensuring national energy security. Coal mine safety production concerns the safety of people’s lives and property, as well as economic development and social stability, and has always been a top priority in safety production efforts. The intelligent construction of coal mines is an important measure to enhance the intrinsic safety level of coal mines and achieve safe development.

In recent years, the state has introduced a series of policies, creating an increasingly favorable development environment that strongly supports and promotes the intelligent construction of coal mines. From January to March of this year, the Expert Committee on Mine Intelligent Construction of the National Mine Safety Administration conducted specialized on-site investigations at coal mines in major coal-producing regions. Based on the investigation results, the Blue Book on Coal Mine Intelligence Development was compiled and released on April 17, marking the first blue book in the field of coal mine intelligence in China.

What achievements have been made in the development of coal mine intelligence in China? What problems and challenges are being faced? What are the next directions and key tasks for scientific and technological breakthroughs in coal mine intelligent construction?

In recent years, the intelligent construction of coal mines in China has accelerated and improved, initially achieving the goals of reducing personnel, increasing efficiency, and enhancing safety in coal mining enterprises. According to incomplete statistics, to date, 1,806 intelligent mining and excavation working faces have been established nationwide, with 907 coal mines having built intelligent working faces. The proportion of intelligent mining capacity exceeds 50%, and over 16,000 fixed positions have achieved unattended operation.

Zhou Dechang, Deputy Director of the National Mine Safety Administration, stated that with the continuous advancement of new technologies such as 5G and artificial intelligence, while intelligent mining faces have been realized, breakthroughs have also been made in the intelligence of excavation, transportation, ventilation, drainage, power supply, and distribution. Coal mine intelligence is gradually moving from intelligent mining to intelligent whole-mine operations. Mine intelligent construction provides a solid foundation for mine safety production in China. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the number of mine accidents and fatalities has decreased by 75.33% and 79.51%, respectively.

Although positive progress and significant results have been achieved in mine intelligent construction, there is still considerable room for growth in coal mine intelligence development compared to the demands of safe and efficient mine operations. As a typical traditional industry, mining involves high labor intensity, poor working conditions, and high risks. Without intelligent transformation, the future development of enterprises will be unsustainable. Zhou Dechang pointed out that it is necessary to fully recognize the new situation, new tasks, and new challenges facing mine intelligent construction and to propose practical measures to effectively address them.

Zhou Dechang noted that some mining enterprises remain conservative, reluctant to embrace new things and technologies, and are hesitant about intelligent transformation. Intelligence in areas such as excavation, electromechanical systems, transportation, and geology lags far behind intelligent mining. Key technical challenges, such as coal-rock identification and intelligent mining under complex conditions, have not yet been substantively overcome. Meanwhile, intelligent safety management is still in its infancy. In terms of equipment, the pace of research, development, and application lags behind the on-site needs of mining enterprises, with a lack of small, lightweight intelligent equipment.

To advance coal mine intelligent construction from pilot demonstrations to large-scale promotion and iterative upgrades, the Expert Committee on Mine Intelligent Construction of the National Mine Safety Administration conducted in-depth investigations and research at coal mine sites in major coal-producing regions from January to March this year, and undertook the compilation of the Blue Book on Coal Mine Intelligence Development. Liu Jianzhong, Director of the Science and Technology Breakthrough Subcommittee of the Second Expert Committee on Mine Intelligent Construction, introduced that the Blue Book on Coal Mine Intelligence Development is the first blue book in the field of coal mine intelligence. The blue book outlines directions and key tasks for scientific and technological breakthroughs, including the development of fully mechanized intelligent mining toward high-level digital intelligent mining, the advancement of coal mine disaster warning toward multi-modal intelligent prevention and control, and the evolution of coal mine robots toward embodied intelligence.

Liu Jianzhong stated that the blue book focuses on the latest policy supply, top-level design, engineering demonstrations, key technologies, core equipment, standard systems, and digital integration in the field of coal mine intelligent construction. It comprehensively, objectively, and accurately reflects the vivid practices and main achievements in the development of coal mine intelligence in China, outlines the current trends and future directions in various areas of coal mine intelligent construction, and presents 13 specific key tasks and detailed technical pathways.

Coal mine intelligent construction has entered a new phase of accelerated development and in-depth advancement. The Guiding Opinions on Deepening Mine Intelligent Construction to Promote Mine Safety Development, jointly issued last year by seven departments including the National Mine Safety Administration and the Ministry of Emergency Management, set the goal of establishing a comprehensive mine intelligent standard system by 2026, with the proportion of intelligent production capacity in national coal mines reaching no less than 60%. By 2030, a complete mine intelligent technology, equipment, and management system will be established, achieving deep integration and shared application of mine data, promoting reduced-manning and unmanned mining operations, effectively preventing major safety risks, and significantly improving the intrinsic safety level of mines. Liu Jianzhong expressed the hope that the release of this blue book will further consolidate industry consensus and play an important role in guiding and promoting intelligent construction in the next phase of development.

Liu Jianzhong stated, “These tasks and pathways, as research results from the industry’s think tank, are made public to guide specific work across all areas of intelligent construction. We will continue to closely follow industry development trends, study opinions and suggestions from all parties, and continuously optimize and refine the path for coal mine intelligence development.” (Li Simo)

(Source: China National Radio)