XI’AN, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) — When people think of mining, they might picture a tough, dirty and risky job. But for Du Huailong, who holds a master’s degree in mining, his 11-year career as a coal miner is breaking conventional stereotypes.
“Coal mining today is different from the past. There has been a significant reduction in manual work required in the mining process, with intelligent technologies taking on greater importance,” said Du, 35, as he jumped onto a trackless rubber-tire vehicle, descending into a mine in Shaanxi Province, a major coal hub in China.
The vehicle glided through the spacious, well-lit tunnels to reach the working face where 5G base stations, automated conveyor belts and coal-cutting machines were in operation. With just 13 workers per shift, the extraction yields 13,000 tonnes of coal.
Du works at Daliuta Coal Mine, owned by one of China’s largest coal…
