The nutrient medium fixation structure for reclaimed soil-sealed dirt piles, developed by Wuhai Energy Co., Ltd, a subsidiary of China Energy Investment Corporation, was granted utility model patent by China National Intellectual Property Administration on February 14, marking that technological innovation has injected strong impetus into the company’s sustainable development.

In recent years, Wuhai Energy has endeavored to accelerate integrated development of technological innovation, production safety, environmental protection, industrial upgrade, and management improvement, and made breakthroughs in preventing major risks such as water leakage, fire, and gas blowout. It has made technological innovation a new driving force for its development. So far, it has built two intelligent coal mining faces, two rapid-excavation working faces, 30 unmanned projects, and five cloud computing data centers and integrated monitoring platforms, and put into use five intelligent patrol robots and one intelligent shotcreting robot. The “cornerstone” system that was recently put into operation in the company is China’s first intelligent coal dressing standard data system. Technological innovation plays a vital role in facilitating production, ensuring safety, accelerating development, enhancing management, and advancing epidemic prevention and control in the company.

A worker checks coal inventory with a 3D laser scanner.

At the same time, Wuhai Energy has strengthened rules and systems, accelerated the application of coal-related research results, and advanced the upgrading of production technology, mode and organization to meet the goals of “peaking carbon emissions by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060” and controlling energy consumption. Its research project on key technology for lake sludge pollution control along the Inner Mongolia section of the Yellow River was listed as a major research project of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and its photovoltaic power + mine ecological restoration project has been approved by the government of the autonomous region. In 2021 alone, Wuhai Energy filed 63 domestic patent applications, of which 16 (including an invention patent application) were accepted by China National Intellectual Property Administration, and obtained six provincial/ministerial-level awards for scientific and technological progress.

To enhance production efficiency through technological innovation, Wuhai Energy has launched 191 research projects in nine categories, including intelligent mining, intelligent excavation, unmanned operations, intelligent coal washing and dressing, intelligent ventilation, and precision disaster forecast. As a result, its intelligent equipment and mining capacity have been significantly strengthened. To date, it has completed 30 unmanned monitoring projects, saving 153 workers, and built five integrated monitoring platforms. Operators of fixed posts no longer need to work on site, but operate equipment in the production command center through the remote visualized control system, and multi-person equipment control has shifted to centralized control, considerably reducing on-site operators. Technological innovation has achieved satisfying results in ensuring safety and increasing efficiency.