+ 3,550 meters! The "Jiada" mining hard rock tunnel boring machine of China Railway Equipment set off

On May 16th, the "Jiada" (China Railway 1437) lithium mine hard rock tunnel boring machine, jointly developed by China Railway Equipment and Dazhong Mining, officially started tunneling at the Jiada Lithium Mine in Maerkang City, Aba Prefecture, Sichuan Province, at an altitude of 3,550 meters. This marks a new stage in the construction of the Dazhonghe Jiada Lithium Mine project in Sichuan.

The Jiada Lithium Mine project is located in Jiada Village in the west of Barkam City. The mining area covers two tunnel excavation sections, which are the main underground tunnels for transporting mineral products. The total length of the initial excavation section this time is 2.65 kilometers. A mining TBM with a diameter of 5.13 meters and a total length of 135 meters is used for construction. The geological formation of the main transportation tunnel is mainly composed of SLATE interbedded with altered sandstone. The slope of the tunnel line generally shows the feature of "first up then down", and the rock strength can reach up to 140 megapascals at the highest. Based on the characteristics of the stratum and the lithology conditions, the design personnel of China Railway Equipment equipped the "Jiada" TBM with high-performance rock-breaking cutter heads, significantly enhancing the efficiency of hard rock excavation. The anchor drill rig and steel arch frame assembly system configured can effectively reduce the safety risks under traditional construction methods and shorten the construction period through an integrated operation process.

The "Dazhong" TBM began excavation on September 25, 2024

It is learned that the "Jiada" is the third TBM of China Railway Equipment to be applied in lithium mining. It will work side by side with the "Dazhong" TBM to form a dual-machine collaborative operation mode at the Dazhong Hejiada Lithium Mine in Sichuan Province. Up to now, the "Dazhong" TBM has advanced 1,620 meters.

The integration of TBM technology into lithium mine development will significantly enhance the intrinsic safety level of the project, improve the quality of tunnel formation and excavation progress, and greatly improve the construction environment inside the tunnel. The tunneling efficiency is 4 to 6 times that of the traditional drilling and blasting method, truly achieving "mechanization replacing human labor and automation improving efficiency". It is an important measure to implement the development concepts of innovation, coordination, green development, openness and sharing. It has opened a new chapter in the development of lithium ore resources.