China to accelerate construction of intelligent coal mines

China vows to further accelerate the intelligent construction of coal mines in the country to promote the high-quality development of the coal industry, according to the National Energy Administration.

The energy bureaus of all coal-producing provinces, coal industry management departments and relevant central enterprises should step up their efforts to promote the intelligence level of coal mines to a broader scope and to provide strong support for ensuring the safe and stable supply of coal and building a new energy system, it said in a notice on Monday.

Production coal mines with an annual output of 3 million metric tons or more are encouraged to comprehensively promote the intelligent transformation of major production processes, it said.

The administration also encourages companies and local energy bureaus to continuously improve the autonomous operation capability of production systems, including unmanned operations in fixed locations and the application of robots in hazardous and labor-intensive positions, it said.