Ulaanbaatar Photovoltaic Power Generation and Energy Storage

What are the energy problems in Ulaanbaatar?

The energy problems in Ulaanbaatar are urban design problems; the energy solutions are urban design solutions—they need to be considered in tandem. Meeting the energy needs of all residents requires making choices that will direct how the city will develop.

Why is Ulaanbaatar struggling?

Ulaanbaatar continues business-as-usual, unable to successfully invest in an expanded electrical transmission network or heat distribution system. Power outages remain prevalent, undercutting any electrification initiatives underway.

Can Ulaanbaatar reduce coal dependence?

Perhaps counterintuitively, Ulaanbaatar’s inability to build an efficient, modern new centralized coal-fired CHP plant (CHP#5) has actually opened more avenues for reducing coal dependence than if it had been constructed.

What is Ulaanbaatar known for?

The core of Ulaanbaatar is a dense district of Soviet-era apartment buildings, shopping centers, and civic buildings, along with newly constructed contemporary high-rise apartments and commercial office buildings.

What is slowing the decarbonization of Ulaanbaatar's energy grid?

There are several dynamics at play that are slowing the decarbonization of Ulaanbaatar’s energy grid. Much of this phenomenon has to do with the system used to award PPA contracts, and with political interference in setting energy production targets at different facilities.

What is the largest coal-fired electric plant in Mongolia?

Built in the 1980s, CHP#4 is the largest coal-fired thermal electric plant in Mongolia, with a design capacity of 580 MW. It supplies about 70% of the electricity and more than 60% of the heat for the city (Yokogawa Electric Corporation 2014).