Just when India has started discussing the gradual introduction of electric mining trucks, one Chinese mine has quietly gone ahead and deployed an astonishing 290 battery-electric haul trucks. Meanwhile, coal investments are hitting levels not seen in over a decade, governments are scrambling to secure critical minerals, and India may have found another significant gold resource.
Here are some of the most important developments shaping the mining industry this week.
Zijin Mining Deploys 290 Battery-Electric Trucks
Xinjiang Zijin Zinc, one of China’s largest lead-zinc mine operators, is gradually replacing traditional diesel trucks with a green fleet. Owner Zijin Mining Group says it stands as one of the single mines with the largest fleet of battery electric mining trucks globally.
Xinjiang Zijin Zinc operates the Wulagen mine in Wuqia County, Xinjiang. It utilises a smart, zero-carbon transport loop involving local wind, solar, and energy storage projects to source green power and achieve energy self-sufficiency.
The mine also built Xinjiang’s first dedicated battery swapping station, which was developed by Fujian Longking, a company in which Zijin is the controlling shareholder. This is achieving battery swaps in four minutes. Powered by the latest technology including AI, it automates 180+ battery swaps a day for 90-tonne trucks and enduring climate extremes during the year from -40°C to 40°C.
An intelligent tracking system monitors battery levels and real-time safety, cutting speeding violations by 75% and driving dispatch efficiency. With over 290 electric trucks now handling 80%+ of the mine’s transport, this clean energy and AI-driven model Zijin Mining says offers a proven, replicable blueprint for green transitions across Zijin’s open-pit mines worldwide.
The truck fleet is composed of a mix of models including battery trucks from Breton Technology, LGMG and others. These include the LGMG RTE136 90 t class truck which uses side swapping of batteries. Built on the mature LGMG RTH chassis, this model is a pure electric, super fast charge and autonomous truck, fitted with a 3.5 C fast charge battery of 872-1056 kWh.
Looking at the bigger picture, in its 2025 Sustainability Report, Zijin Mining states that for the year it actively drove a ‘diesel-to-electricity’ transformation, with 62.5% of its subsidiaries in the process of gradually introducing and deploying pure electric mining trucks, pure electric dump trucks, new energy heavy-duty trucks, electric forklifts and other transportation equipment to replace existing diesel vehicles. By the end of 2025, the cumulative deployment of various types of electric vehicles had reached 1,719 units.
Coal Mining Investment Reaches a 14-Year High
Despite global discussions around decarbonization, coal continues to remain central to energy security.
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), global investment in coal mining is expected to exceed US$180 billion in 2026, representing the highest level since 2012. China and India are leading this expansion, with increased spending on mines, transport infrastructure and supply security.
China alone accounts for nearly 70% of worldwide coal investment. The continued growth reflects concerns over energy security, rising electricity demand and geopolitical uncertainties.
The situation illustrates an interesting paradox.
Although renewable energy investments continue to grow, many nations are simultaneously strengthening domestic coal production to ensure reliable power supply.
In other words, the energy transition is proving to be far more complex than simply replacing one fuel with another.
Investment in coal mining operations has reached its highest level since 2012. According to the International Energy Agency’s World Energy Investment report, spending on coal extraction will exceed US$180bn by the end of 2026.
The figure represents a 4% rise from 2025. The increase comes as mining companies in China and India expand production capacity and develop transport infrastructure to move coal from extraction sites to export terminals.
The data shows that despite growth in renewable energy, coal mining remains a major focus for investment in Asia. Mining operators continue to open new sites and expand existing operations to meet domestic and export demand.
China is the world’s largest mining country and, according to the IEA, more than 65% of global coal mining investment originates there.
Spending on steam coal production alone in China will surpass US$100bn this year, double the amount invested a decade ago.
China Coal Energy, the country’s largest listed coal producer, is among the operators expanding extraction activity as domestic energy requirements continue to grow.
New capacity is being added through commercial auctions and greenfield developments. The country’s coal mining sector has seen sustained investment growth over the past 10 years.
Infrastructure spending increases
Coal India, the world’s largest coal mining company by production volume, plus several new mining companies have won commercial mine auctions in recent years. These operations are adding tens of millions of tonnes of new extraction capacity annually.
India leads global investment in coal transport infrastructure. According to the IEA, spending on rail systems used to move coal from mines to ports has risen from US$5bn to US$7bn.
The country is also expanding coal gasification capabilities. Mining operators are developing facilities to convert coal into chemical products.
The transport infrastructure investment could mean mining companies are preparing for increased production volumes. Rail and port capacity expansions typically precede or accompany extraction growth.
Pentagon Pushes for Rare Earth Independence
The US Department of Defense is committing US$500m to accelerate domestic rare earth midstream processing, as Washington attempts to close the gap between mining and magnet production currently dominated by China.
The Pentagon’s Office of Strategic Capital has conditionally committed the long-term debt financing to rare earth refiner Phoenix Tailings, part of a wider US$1bn initiative to build what has been named the Freedom Facility.
The Freedom Facility is not expected to be operational until 2028, but it will process mined concentrates and recycled scrap into light and heavy rare earth metals to be used in US defence systems and domestic industry.
The loan remains subject to financial, legal and technical due diligence, with Phoenix Tailings one of several companies competing for Pentagon backing in the rare earth sector.
Rare earth elements have become strategic assets, and the United States is taking increasingly aggressive steps to reduce dependence on Chinese supply chains.
The Pentagon recently committed significant financial support for domestic rare-earth processing projects. Reuters reported a US$500 million loan commitment to Phoenix Tailings, while additional funding arrangements worth hundreds of millions of dollars are being directed towards expanding processing and separation capacity.
These investments aim to strengthen the supply chain for:
- Permanent magnets.
- Electric vehicles.
- Wind turbines.
- Defence systems.
- Advanced electronics.
China currently dominates much of the world’s midstream rare-earth processing sector, and Western countries are increasingly treating critical minerals as matters of national security rather than simply commodities.
The midstream gap
Rare earth elements, which are the 17 metals used in EV motors, fighter jets, smartphones and clean energy infrastructure, are mined in several countries.
The issue for Washington is that the midstream processing stage, which involves the separation and metallisation required to produce NdFeB permanent magnets used in military hardware such as the F-35 fighter jet, is overwhelmingly conducted in China.
US operator Phoenix Tailings specialises in rare earth processing. Its existing facilities in Burlington, Massachusetts and Exeter, New Hampshire currently process metals used in magnet production, including neodymium-praseodymium and dysprosium, at a capacity of 500 tons per year.
According to the company, that’s equivalent to the entire annual demand of the US defence industrial base. The Freedom Facility is designed to take that capacity significantly higher, taking materials supplied from US mines, recyclers and secondary sources.
“Supporting domestic processing for critical minerals and rare earths is a key focus for OSC, and the rare earth midstream processing capabilities that Phoenix Tailings represents are key shortage areas that need to be rapidly addressed,” says David Lorch, Director of the Office of Strategic Capital.
Mining Clearance Granted in Hasdeo-Aranya
One of India’s most debated mining developments advanced this week with the granting of forest clearance for coal mining activities in the Hasdeo-Aranya region of Chhattisgarh.
Approximately 1,742 hectares of forest land are involved, with reports indicating that over 3.8 lakh trees could be affected.
Supporters of the project argue that the additional coal production will help address Rajasthan’s coal shortage, estimated at around nine million tonnes annually, thereby improving power security.
However, environmental groups and tribal communities have expressed strong concerns over biodiversity loss, displacement and long-term ecological impacts.
The Hasdeo issue once again highlights one of mining’s most challenging questions:
How do we balance energy security and economic development with environmental conservation and community concerns?
Finding that balance will continue to be one of the defining challenges for the mining industry.
Amid rising electricity demand and recurring coal shortages, Rajasthan has received a major boost with the Centre granting in-principle forest clearance for the Kente Extension Open Cast Coal Block in Chhattisgarh’s Hasdeo-Aranya region.
The approval has been granted to Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited (RVUNL) following recommendations of the Forest Advisory Committee under the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. The clearance paves the way for increasing coal supply to Rajasthan’s Chhabra and Suratgarh thermal power plants.
Under the project, mining will be carried out on 1,742.60 hectares of forest land. The coal block is estimated to produce around 90 lakh tonnes of coal annually and is expected to remain operational for 33 to 36 years. The mine will be developed in six phases.
Gold Discovery Adds Momentum to Indian Exploration
India’s dependence on imported gold remains significant, making domestic discoveries strategically important.
Reports this week indicated that approximately 50 tonnes of gold reserves have been identified in Andhra Pradesh, with plans to expand exploration and mining activities to four additional locations.
The state has already been attracting attention through projects such as the Jonnagiri gold project, which represents one of India’s first large-scale private gold mining ventures after independence.
Although India’s gold production remains relatively small compared with global producers, discoveries like these could contribute to:
- Reduced import dependency.
- Increased domestic mineral production.
- Regional economic development.
- Greater private sector participation in exploration.
For geologists and mineral explorers, every new discovery reinforces the fact that India’s mineral potential remains far from fully understood.
Ref: https://www.bhaskarenglish.in/; https://english.gujaratsamachar.com/; https://im-mining.com/; https://miningdigital.com/;