The coal trade efficiency from Mongolia to China through Ganqimaodu border port has been further enhanced with the adoption of the Auto Guided Vehicle cross-border transport system.

The AGV transporting system has been in operation for about 16 months since first started on July 16, 2022, transporting 2.9 million tonnes of coal with 44,000 round trips, the Global Times reported, citing Gao Mingyue, general manager for AGV central control of E-commodities Holdings Limited (E-comm), the operator of the AGV transport system.

"The maximum speed of AGV is 25 km/h, and it can complete a round trip between two stockyards in just 50 minutes," Gao said. E-comm currently has a fleet of 30 AGVs, deploying 24 of them during weekdays to transport 10,400 tonnes of coal each day with 160 round trips, she said, adding the Mongolian side also has 30 AGVs.

The annual transport capacity of the AGV system is expected to reach 15 million tonnes after all 60 AGVs are put into operation.

Compared with the traditional heavy-haul truck, which can load with four standard containers at most and make four to six round trips each month, a single AGV, which can load two standard containers, can make seven round trips each day, according to Gao.

The application in Ganqimaodu marks the first time an AGV transport system has been deployed as a cross-border transport method in a land port. Apart from the port, the system has also been adopted at Ceke border port, the second-largest inland highway border port for coal after Ganqimaodu.

Ganqimaodu had imported 30.28 million tonnes of coal as of November 10 in 2023, soaring 126.08% year on year. Total cargoes handled by the port stood at 31.45 million tonnes, up 120.35% year on year, the Global Times reported, citing data from the Urad Customs.

(Writing by Emma Yang  Editing by Harry Huo)
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