Published: 12:37, July 9, 2024 | Updated: 18:18, July 9, 2024
China's deep-sea heavy-duty mining vehicle reaches record depth
By Xinhua
This photo released on May 23, 2024 and taken on July 9, 2024 from the official WeChat account of Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s Hainan Research Institute shows the deep-sea heavy-duty mining vehicle "Pioneer II". 

SHANGHAI - China's deep-sea heavy-duty mining vehicle has completed a sea trial at a depth exceeding 4,000 meters, marking a significant breakthrough in the country's deep-sea mineral resource development technology.

The trial was conducted by the "Pioneer II", an engineering prototype independently developed by Shanghai Jiao Tong University, the Shanghai municipal government said on Tuesday.

The mining vehicle has pioneered several technologies in the country, including high-mobility deep-sea navigation at complex seabed terrains and composite drilling and mining of multiple types of deep-sea minerals

The "Pioneer II" completed five diving and seabed mining operations, including a record-breaking dive to 4,102.8 meters, marking the first time a Chinese deep-sea heavy-duty mining vehicle has conducted trial operations at depths exceeding 4,000 meters.

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The mining vehicle has pioneered several technologies in the country, including high-mobility deep-sea navigation at complex seabed terrains and composite drilling and mining of multiple types of deep-sea minerals.