Zijin’s 290 battery trucks at Wulagen: ventilation and design notes for mine planners
Reviewed by Tom Sullivan
First reported on International Mining – News
30 Second Briefing
Zijin Mining Group is rolling out a 290-strong battery electric truck fleet at its Wulagen lead-zinc mine in Wuqia County, Xinjiang, replacing conventional diesel haulage and creating one of the largest single-site BEV truck deployments worldwide. The mine, operated by Xinjiang Zijin Zinc, is shifting to fully electric underground and surface haul routes, relying on high-capacity battery packs and fast-swapping or fast-charging systems to keep utilisation high. For mine planners and geotechnical teams, the move reduces diesel ventilation demand and heat load, potentially allowing deeper or denser development with lower airflow requirements.
Technical Brief
- Xinjiang Zijin Zinc is phasing out diesel haulage at the Wulagen lead-zinc operation in Wuqia County.
- Centralised BEV deployment allows standardised fire suppression, isolation and high-voltage lock-out procedures across the fleet.
- Removal of diesel engines reduces underground NOx and particulate exposure, easing compliance with occupational exposure limits.
- Lower exhaust heat and fumes cut reliance on auxiliary ventilation fans in headings and loading bays.
- Battery truck operation reduces fuel storage and transfer on site, shrinking fire and spill risk envelopes.
- Standardised electric drivetrains improve braking control on declines, reducing runaway truck risk on ramps.
- Large-scale BEV use at Wulagen provides a reference case for Chinese regulators updating mine safety guidance on electric fleets.
Our Take
Zijin Mining Group also appears in our coverage via CATL’s 30 billion yuan mining subsidiary plan, signalling that Zijin is positioning itself not only as a base metals producer but as a relevant player in the broader battery raw materials ecosystem that underpins electrification projects like the Wulagen truck fleet.
Among our 1213 Mining stories, large-scale battery-electric haulage is still concentrated in a few high-profile copper and iron ore operations, so a 290-truck deployment at a lead-zinc operation in Xinjiang indicates that BEV haulage is now moving into more conventional underground and polymetallic settings where ventilation and diesel costs are critical drivers.
Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.
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