October 4, 2024: An agreement was announced last month to construct a 50MW battery storage power station in the Baganuur district of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, which is expected to be commissioned in November 2024.
The signing happened on September 6 by first deputy governor of Ulaanbaatar, Manduul Nyamandeleg and Zhibin Chen, a representative of Envision Energy for the construction of the battery storage power station which will help regulate the energy system’s frequency, reduce peak winter load stress, and address capacity deficits. It will also help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by using renewable energy sources.
To prepare for the winter of 2024-25 an announcement on June 26 opened an international tender for the construction of the station to prevent electricity and heating shortages and ensure uninterrupted power supply to customers. Envision Energy was selected as the contractor.
The battery storage power station will be built on a five hectare area and have a capacity of 50MW, an energy storage capacity of 200MWh, and an electrical frequency of 50Hz with three phases and will be connected to the 220/110/35 kV Baganuur substation.
During the signing ceremony, the mayor of Ulaanbaatar, Nyambaatar Khishgee, said: “For the first time, Ulaanbaatar successfully issued bonds worth MNT 500 billion ($147m) on the domestic capital market, with MNT 300 billion ($88m) of the money invested in the Buuruljuut power plant. Consequently, the first block of the Buuruljuut Power Plant, with a capacity of 150 MW, will be operational next month, and will significantly mitigate the current energy shortages of Ulaanbaatar.”
On March 26, Mongolia’s first lead-acid battery recycling plant was put into operation in Nalaikh district of the capital city to reduce the negative impacts of expired automotive batteries on human health and the environment.
It is widely believed that with an annual capacity of recycling 7,000 tons or 300,000-400,000 pieces of used lead-acid batteries, and refining 98% of the waste lead and acid, this plant will provide the necessary lead needed to power the battery storage station.
According to statistical data, at least 6250 tons or 1600 thousand pieces of lead-acid batteries are wasted in nature every year in Mongolia. About 1200 tons or 30 thousand pieces of those are recycled using non-standard methods and exported, which accounts for about 19% of the total spent batteries. It means the remaining 80% of the spent batteries are wasted directly in nature, causing a serious threat to the environment, and public health.
At the opening ceremony of the recycling plant — which was built by Electrochem Mongol and is estimated to have created around 75 jobs — minister of road and transport development S. Byambatsogt expressed the government’s policy to support environment-friendly technology and manufacturing.
“We will collaborate with private enterprises in establishing a system for collection and storage of spent lead-acid batteries,” he said.
