Can Mongolia de-carbonise its energy mix?

How much renewables contribute to Mongolia’s eforts to ‘de-carbonise’ its future energy mix depends upon several key factors: resources; the costs and applicability of renewable energy technologies; grid infrastructure; legislative and policy frameworks; and regional energy cooperation.

What is Mongolia's energy potential?

According to findings by the National Renewable Energy Center (NREC) using data from the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Mongolia’s wind energy potential amounts to at least 1.1 terawatts (TW), while solar potential is about 1.5 TW (Stackhouse and Whitlock, 2009).

Are there enabling conditions for the development of renewables in Mongolia?

Against this backdrop, the MoE of Mongolia, in collaboration with the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), has launched a project aimed at conduct a comprehensive analysis of the presence, or lack thereof, of enabling conditions for the development of renewables in Mongolia.

Should Mongolia rely on coal for energy?

The IPCC report called for large-scale transition in energy systems towards “decarbonisation”. In response to this reality, Mongolia has realised that reliance on coal for energy over the coming decades is less optimal, particularly given the global call for actions to cut GHG emissions.

How can Mongolia improve energy security & reliability?

This new legislation enables Mongolia to provide energy security and reliability, improve energy eficiency, pursue public-private partnerships and create a market-oriented framework for the sector. Mongolia’s Gobi Desert is enormously rich with solar and wind resources.

What is Mongolia's central energy system?

The Central Energy System grid has been dominated by coal-fired power plants. With Mongolia’s first wind farm in operation for nearly two years, the grid operators have gained some experience in dealing with variable renewable sources and have also encountered some challenges.