Ulaanbaatar-3 power station

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Ulaanbaatar-3 power station (III-р дулааны цахилгаан станц) is an operating power station of at least 50-megawatts (MW) in Ulaanbaatar, Khan Uul, Mongolia with multiple units, some of which are not currently operating. It is also known as Ulaanbaatar Thermal Power Plant No. 3, CHP-3, Power Plant 3, ТЗЦ III, ДЦС-3, 乌兰巴托第三电厂改扩建, 乌兰巴托市第三电厂扩容改造项目.

Location

Table 1: Project-level location details

Plant name Location Coordinates (WGS 84)
Ulaanbaatar-3 power station Ulaanbaatar, Khan Uul, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia 47.895556, 106.865055 (exact)

The map below shows the exact location of the power station.

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Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):

  • Unit 10, Unit 10 (new), Unit 11, Unit 9: 47.895556, 106.865055

Project Details

Table 2: Unit-level details

Unit name Status Fuel(s) Capacity (MW) Technology Start year Retired year
Unit 10 cancelled coal - subbituminous 125 unknown
Unit 10 (new) announced coal - subbituminous 400 subcritical 2027
Unit 11 cancelled coal - subbituminous 125 unknown
Unit 9 operating coal - subbituminous 50 subcritical 2014

Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details

Unit name Owner
Unit 10 Thermal Power Plant-3 SSH Co [100.0%]
Unit 10 (new) Thermal Power Plant-3 SSH Co [100.0%]
Unit 11 Thermal Power Plant-3 SSH Co [100.0%]
Unit 9 Thermal Power Plant-3 SSH Co [100.0%]

Project-level coal details

  • Coal source(s): Baganuur and Shivee Ovoo coal mines

Background

The plant originally consisted of four 12 MW units and four 25 MW units commissioned in 1969. In 2000, the Asian Development Bank made a US$40 million loan to rehabilitate the plant and install pollution controls. Contractors included Marubeni of Japan. In 2014, a new 50 MW unit was added.[1][2][3][4]

Additional renovations

On November 2021, Prime Minister of Mongolia L.Oyun-Erdene "became acquainted with the progress of winter preparation at thermal power plants." At the Plant No. 3, work was underway to increase the plant’s capacity by a reported 50 MW and renew the plant in phases, according to Minister of Energy N.Tavinbekh. With "three of four major works planned for this year already done," the extension was planned for completion by December 2021.[5]

As of June 2022, there is not an apparent update on the status of the extension.

Heating Sector Improvement Project

Utilizing funding from the World Bank, the International Development Association, and the Government of Mongolia, a program called the Ulaanbaatar Heating Sector Improvement Project began implementation in May 2022.[6] The project was scheduled from 2021 and 2025.[7] Construction started at Thermal Power Plant-3. In reference to the project, the Minister of Energy stated: "The project’s implementation is expected to ensure the completion of the government’s mid-term program for the energy sector. More specifically, the project will create the technical capacity to have apartment complexes and facilities, that are planned to be built as part of the plans to redevelop district areas in the capital city, to be connected to central heating... Studies have found that it will become possible for about 10 thousand more households to be connected to the central heating system, and 347 MW of thermal power to be saved once the project is completed."[6]

2016 Expansion Proposal

The 2016-2020 Economic Recovery Program of Mongolia, which was approved by Parliament in November 2016, stated as part of its power goals that "the capacity of the 3rd Thermal Power Plant" would be increased by 250 MW.[8]

In 2017, the bid for the project was awarded to Hunan Industrial Equipment Installation Co, the same company doing the expansion of the Erdenet power station in Mongolia. The Ulaanbaatar 3 project entailed dismantling the existing 4 x 12 MW steam turbine generator sets and boilers in the power plant (Units 1-4), and building a 2 x 125 MW coal-fired thermal power plant units in the cleaned demolition area to expand the heating pipelines and power transmission lines. It was a "turnkey" project valued at US$414 million dollars.[9][10]

The 2018 Mongolia Third National Communication to the UNFCCC stated the 250 MW expansion would be completed in 2019.[4] However, satellite photos (e.g. 2016 to 2021 and 2021 to 2023) show no development.

With no known developments on the 2 x 125 MW proposal since October 2018, it appeared to be cancelled.

2021 Expansion Proposal

In 2021, it was reported that there were plans to "establish Ulaanbaatar’s Fifth Thermal Power Plant based on the infrastructure of the Third Thermal Power Plant. Minister of Energy N.Tavinbekh said, 'Most of the plant’s main infrastructure is becoming outdated. As the Third Thermal Power Plant was put into operation in 1966-1968, it is possible that the plant’s operations could come to a stop at any given moment.'"[11][12]

In preliminary discussions for the 2022 Mongolia Economic Forum, the Ministry of Energy discussed 22 energy development projects in association with the New Revival Policy framework. This framework discussed six recovery areas, one of which is energy.[13] Among these projects was a 400 MW expansion of the third Thermal Power Plant.[14]

A March 2022 article quoted lawmaker B. Choijilsuren, who said: "of the 22 energy projects, only the most important ones need to be implemented". He proposed that the expansion of Thermal Power Plant No. 3 should be first.[15]

The expansion project was also mentioned in an August 2022 article discussing Mongolian energy grid stability.[16]

According to an article from January 2023 referencing a 300 MW expansion, if the expansion proceeded as planned, it was expected to be in operation in 2027.[17] Another article from May 2023 describing a meeting among Members of Parliament mentioned increasing the capacity of TPP-3 to meet increased power consumption needs.[18] Construction on the expansion was expected to begin in 2023.[19]

As of July 2023, the reported total capacity of the expansion project varied among sources. In a July 2023 interview, Mongolia's Deputy Minister of Energy said that a 50 MW expansion was expected in 2028 and a 300 MW expansion was expected in 2030.[20]

In October 2023, Mongolia and Russia held a meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission of Trade, Economy, Science and Technology Cooperation to discuss jointly implementing the Ulaanbaatar-3 power station expansion project.[21]

As of December 2023, Planet satellite imagery did not appear to show construction had begun.

The Ulaanbaatar-5 power station wiki page provides additional information about the original proposal for the plant.

Articles and Resources

References

  1. "Power Plant#5 will have two innovative features," Mining Journal, February 4, 2015
  2. "Ulaanbaatar TES-3 CHP Power Plant Mongolia," GEO, accessed May 2019
  3. ""Ulaanbaatar TES-3 CHP Power Plant Mongolia," IndustryAbout, accessed May 2019
  4. 4.0 4.1 "Mongolia Third National Communication," UNFCCC, October 14, 2018
  5. "Prime Minister becomes acquainted with works to renew Third Thermal Power Plant," Montsame, November 15, 2021
  6. 6.0 6.1 "Construction work kicks off at Thermal Power Plant to connect 10 thousand households to central heating," Montsame, May 6, 2022
  7. "Ulaanbaatar Heating Sector Improvement Project," The World Bank, 2020
  8. "The Economic Recovery Program of Mongolia 2016-2020," December 16, 2016
  9. "乌兰巴托第三热电厂2×125MW汽轮发电机组项目," Investgohn, undated
  10. "湖南安装:驰骋于蒙古高原的"铁血湘军," 株洲新闻网, July 27, 2017
  11. "Prime Minister becomes acquainted with works to renew Third Thermal Power Plant," Montsame, November 15, 2021
  12. "Feasibility study being carried out for Ulaanbaatar’s fifth thermal power plant," Montsame, October 20, 2021
  13. "Mongolia Highlights ‘New Recovery Policy’ at Economic Forum," The Diplomat, April 14, 2022
  14. "The New Recovery Policy and Energy Development Projects," Government of Mongolia Ministry of Energy, March 21, 2022
  15. "Energy Ministry to carry through 22 projects," The UB Post, March 23, 2022
  16. "Grid energy storage to be put into operation before 2023 winter peak," Montsame, August 4, 2022
  17. "Эрчим хүчний 13 төсөлд 488.5 тэрбум төгрөг хуваарилжээ," iToim, January 29, 2023
  18. "Г.Занданшатар: Цахилгаан станц барих ажлыг яаравчлах хэрэгтэй," ZINDAA, May 1, 2023
  19. "ШИНЭ СЭРГЭЛТИЙН БОДЛОГО-Д ТУССАН ХӨГЖЛИЙН ТӨСЛҮҮДИЙН ХЭРЭГЖИЛТИЙГ ЭРЧИМЖҮҮЛЭХИЙГ ҮҮРЭГ БОЛГОВ," olloo.mn, May 24, 2023
  20. "М.БАЯРМАГНАЙ: "Шинэ сэргэлтийн бодлого"-ын хүрээнд Монгол Улс эрчим хүчний хөгжлийн 22 төсөл хэрэгжүүлнэ," Montsame, July 5, 2023
  21. ""ДЦС-3"-ын хүчин чадлыг нэмэх төслийг ОХУ-тай хамтран хэрэгжүүлнэ," Gogo.mn, October 24, 2023

Additional data

To access additional data, including an interactive map of coal-fired power stations, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Plant Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.