Mongolia is turning to wind power, despite its significant coal reserves By Chris Rose

Stories and blog postings last week reported that the remote land-locked country in northern Asia has indicated it would like the development of wind farm, solar power and other renewable energies to be subsidized by the nation’s considerable mining projects.

A Wall Street Journal posting noted that Mongolian Prime Minister Sukhbaatar Batbold discussed at a special cabinet meeting in the Gobi Desert the county’s plans for massive investments “in alternative energy and to export wind power to China — enough to equal 40 million tons of coal.”

The posting added that while the mineral-rich nation of three million people exports a lot of coal to help meet China’s rising demand for energy resources, it is also increasingly aware that the use of coal has a major environmental downside in terms of pollution — which includes greenhouse gas emissions.

It also noted that the significant environmental consequences associated with burning coal could create financial problems. “While Mongolia has a lot of coal, it is a matter of time before coal-based power plants will become subject to carbon penalties,” the posting quoted B. Bold, chief executive of Newcom Group, an investment group building a wind-power-generation plant in the country, as saying.

In addition to the possibility of harnessing large amounts of wind power, cabinet ministers at the special meeting in Gashuunii Khooloi, approximately 670 kilometers south of Ulan-Bator, also discussed how Mongolia is dealing with desertification, deforestation and limited water supplies.

Associated Press reported Mongolian officials donned dark green baseball caps reading “Save our planet” and set up chairs and tables in the sand for the meeting aimed at drawing attention to climate change and sustainable development. “Mongolia is feeling the impact of global climate change,” the report quoted Batbold saying at the meeting.

The story also said the Mongolian government blames global warming for a decrease in rainfall and says rising average temperatures have caused many rivers and springs to dry up and snow cover to melt. Elke Zander, Campaigns Officer at EWEA who recently visited Mongolia, was told by locals that a major river running close to the Russian border and Lake Baikal, has recently dried up.

Zander was more than impressed by locals and nomads all over the country who are using renewable energy to power their homes. In addition to several small wind turbines, she saw many solar panels next to local’s yurts (traditional Mongolian tents) that are taking advantage of powerful sun and wind in the ‘Land of the Blue Sky’.

By Chris Rose, blog.ewea.org