Hunan Antimony Mine Deploys Robotics and Green Power in Cleanup

Xikuangshan, a century-old antimony mining area in Loudi, Hunan Province, has transitioned from severe industrial degradation toward automation and ecological recovery, according to state media outlet China News Service. Robotic systems and automated lines now handle the stacking, transport, and feeding of antimony ingots, while the mining facility operates on green electricity. Once-barren slopes have achieved vegetation coverage exceeding 80 percent, turning portions of the district into local tourist attractions and demonstrating China's ongoing industrial greening initiatives.

Known globally as an antimony hub, Xikuangshan represents a primary case study of how legacy resource bases in China are tackling centuries of environmental damage. The integration of renewable power and robotics into non-ferrous metal smelting reflects broader regulatory and policy pushes to clean up heavy-polluting industries.

Xikuangshan, a century-old mining complex located in Loudi, Hunan Province, has replaced labor-intensive antimony extraction practices with automated processing lines, green power, and extensive land reclamation, according to reports by China News Service. Historically renowned for its extensive antimony reserves, the district was long characterized by hazardous subterranean working conditions. A century ago, local folk ballads warned workers against entering the pits, where miners hauled ore on foot and carried kerosene lamps in their mouths through unlit shafts. The industrial area also marked a rare stop for the Red Army during the Long March, when approximately 1,000 local mining youths joined the military column. Decades of intensive heavy metal extraction subsequently left surrounding hillsides barren and severely degraded. In recent years, however, industrial operations at the site have shifted toward modern automation. Facility workflows for antimony ingots—including palletizing, transport, and furnace feeding—are now managed by automated equipment and robotic systems, China News Service reported. Alongside robotics, the mining area has adopted green electricity to power its processing units. Environmental restoration efforts on the surface have simultaneously raised vegetation coverage on previously bare mountainsides to more than 80 percent. Portions of the rehabilitated landscape have since evolved into popular local scenic destinations for visitors. While state media coverage referenced the site's path toward becoming an international or United Nations case sample, specific program criteria or partner organizations were not detailed in the reports. The visible transformation of Xikuangshan nevertheless underscores the aggressive operational overhauls taking place across China's traditional non-ferrous mining districts to curb legacy pollution and align heavy industry with ecological targets.