Mongolia Energy

Though largely part of the informal economy, Mongolia is nevertheless no stranger to renewable energy – solar panels are a common sight perched outside gers (herders’ felt tents) across the country, used to power televisions and lamps. These account for only an estimated 0.1% of the country’s electricity mix, however. Yet the renewables story...

With the economy growing 17.3% in 2011, the numbers show a broad-based expansion, but ultimately the mining sector was and will continue to be Mongolia’s main GDP driver. The country is on the verge of breaking through as the next major resources economy, and is perfectly situated just to the north of perhaps the world’s most resource-hungry economy...

The ongoing search for fuel alternatives in Mongolia was stepped up after a shortage in the summer of 2011, and energy sector leaders are now exploring alternatives and supplements to buying from Russian state energy firm Rosneft. One possibility is coal-to-liquids (CTL) technology, a good fit given the country’s huge coal reserves. Several...

Nuclear power has at times been considered a prominent part of Mongolia’s energy mix in the long term. The country has significant uranium reserves in multiple locations, according to data from the International Atomic Energy Agency, with the vast majority of it in the Dornod field in the north-east. Mongolia has in recent years been reforming its...

Looming on the long-term horizon is a major constraint for the mining sector: water. Though Mongolia’s mineral resources are scattered throughout the country, most of the ones now in development are in the Gobi Desert, the driest part of the country. That includes Oyu Tolgoi (OT) and Tavan Tolgoi (TT), the megaprojects that will in the near future...

While Mongolia is rapidly becoming world famous for the large deposits of gold, copper and coal at its mines, a less well-known investment story is that of the country’s hydrocarbons sector. Recent surges in exploration promise significant expansion of the sector, and the government is also looking at developing its own downstream operations. The...