China accelerates smart mining to power coal industry upgrade

China is accelerating efforts to advance intelligent coal mining, a move that experts and executives said marks an essential step toward cultivating new quality productive forces in the coal sector, as coal continues to serve as China's primary energy source and a crucial industrial feedstock.

Liu Feng, vice-president of the China National Coal Association, said the number of intelligent coal mines nationwide has reached nearly 1,000 over the past five years, with 1,806 intelligent mining and tunneling workfaces in operation by the end of the first quarter of 2025. "This progress has not only improved safety standards but also boosted labor productivity by more than 20 percent," Liu said.

Liu made the remarks on Wednesday at a parallel session of the China Coal Industry Development Forum 2025, held during the China Coal & Mining Expo 2025, with the theme "New Quality Productive Forces Power Smart Future".

He highlighted that intelligent mining is essential for coal to serve as a clean and more efficient cornerstone of China's energy system. "In my view, building smart coal mines embodies the integration of traditional industries with new quality productive forces," Liu added.

Echoing this trend, many mining enterprises have begun adopting digital and intelligent technologies.

Yang Zongying, president of Huawei's Mine Business Unit, said the company has developed the Mine Harmony intelligent operating system based on HarmonyOS. "The system enables intelligent gas inspection and introduces new modes of multi-device collaboration, ensuring efficient data processing," Yang said.

Huawei has also launched a new generation of network solutions that meet the requirements for safety inspection, industrial control and positioning, ensuring secure and reliable data transmission. "We are committed to bringing digital and intelligent technologies to every mine," Yang said.

Xin Tongshuai, deputy general manager of Zhengzhou Coal Mining Machinery Group, said the company has rolled out ZMOS 2.0, a next-generation integrated intelligent control system designed to enhance coordination and efficiency across mining operations. "The upgraded version enables unified control throughout the entire mine, significantly improving communication and decision-making efficiency," Xin said.

"The intelligent transformation of coal mining in the AI era calls for spatiotemporal AI-powered models to serve as the core driving engine," said Mao Shanjun, chairman of Beijing LongRuan Technology.

The company has introduced Loong Model 1.0, an AI foundation model and application platform designed for the mining sector. "By integrating the reasoning capabilities of advanced AI models with the coal industry's deep domain expertise, we've developed an AI-powered 'Mine Doctor' that combines broad knowledge with industry-specific insight," Mao said.

Looking ahead, Liu noted that China's coal industry is entering a pivotal stage in its intelligent transformation, shifting from isolated pilot projects to fully integrated smart-mine systems. "The next phase will hinge on building consistency, real-world application and clear industry standards," he said.

Zhang Chenxu contributed to this story