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China has dispatched a fleet of 31 all-electric mining trucks to Zambia for use in a major copper mining project, marking what officials describe as the largest single deployment of electric mining vehicles to Africa to date.
The trucks were supplied by Breton Technology, a Chinese high-tech firm specialising in green construction machinery. They will be used by the African branch of the 15th Metallurgical Construction Group, a state-owned Chinese company.
“This marks the first large-scale rollout of electric mining trucks for a single African project,” said Li Wenjie, chairman of the group’s African construction arm. “It will help upgrade local mining operations with more sustainable equipment.”
Breton Technology is also delivering a zero-carbon mining robot system, which includes autonomous electric vehicles and clean energy technologies. The company says the initiative will accelerate the shift toward unmanned, low-emission mining fleets across the continent.
“We believe that in the near future, unmanned mining operations will become a reality in Africa,” said Teng Fei, head of strategy and overseas business at Breton Technology.
The fleet is expected to arrive at the port of Durban, South Africa, after a 20 to 25-day voyage, before being transported to Zambia.
The shipment comes as China pledges to invest $5 billion in Zambia’s mining sector by 2031, a move that underscores Beijing’s strategic interest in Africa’s rich mineral reserves—especially copper, which is essential for global green energy transitions.
However, China’s growing presence in Zambia’s mining industry has faced criticism over environmental and social impacts. In February 2025, a dam failure at the Sino-Metals Leach Zambia mine—also Chinese-owned—released 50 million litres of acidic waste into a stream leading to the Kafue River, contaminating water sources more than 100km downstream.
Despite such incidents, Beijing continues to promote its investment as a path to modernization and job creation in Zambia’s mining sector.
