How the dirty and dangerous job of coal mining is getting a digital makeover by firms like Huawei
- Digging machines can now be operated from an above-ground control room, with live video feeds and real-time data of the working face
- Huawei has set up several business groups, known as legions or ‘juntuan’ in Chinese, to serve a variety of industries such as ports and hospitals
For traditional coal miners, work can be a scene from hell.
Descending into the dark 100-metres below ground via narrow shafts, miners dig out black gold amid clouds of dust, sweat and the shattering noise from giant shearing machines used to cut through rocks.
This kind of mining is regarded as one of the most demanding jobs in China, and there are special provisions in law to allow these workers – almost exclusively male – to retire at the age of 55 instead of the usual 60.
It is also extremely dangerous, with accidents claiming the lives of hundreds of people every year. According to China government data, 614 deaths were recorded annually on average over the past five years from all types of mining accidents.
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How Huawei's use of 5G and AI is transforming China’s coal mining industry
However, technology is transforming China’s coal mining industry. Fu Shaohui is a coal miner from the northern Chinese province of Shaanxi. He works at Hongliulin coal mine, one of the largest in the country, which has adopted remote sensors, imaging and automatic control technologies to make coal mining more efficient and safer.
This means Fu does not need to go underground as often as before.