What is it Like Living in Ulaanbaatar?
Link to the article on UB Post.
Air Pollution in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia - Emissions, Dispersion, and Health Impacts Modeling (Journal Article)
Eric Rasmussen, EBRD Director, Natural Resources said, “We are delighted at the opportunity to be working with Sharyn Gol on this Project to improve air quality in Ulaanbaatar. We also value the Company’s commitment to make a very positive impact to the social and economic developments in the local region. We look forward to supporting the company’s strategic move into value-added clean coal products.”
Top 100 Cities with the Worst Air Quality in the World (WHO, 2011)
Ulaanbaatar is one the most polluted capitals in the world with particle emissions 10 times higher than World Health Organization guidelines. The World Bank estimates that household stoves are responsible for about 60 percent of these emissions. Much of this is a result of burning low-quality raw coal in stoves in the ger districts.
10% of the city's total mortality is due to the outdoor air pollution
By washing and briquetting raw coal, the new plants will reduce the amount of volatile matter it contains, the main pollutants emitted during burning, increase the heating value and reduce the ash content by up to a half. The bank’s energy audit estimates that the project will lead to CO2 savings of 30,000 tons per annum and lower dust emissions from the coal briquettes by 20 percent, compared to current practices. Independent estimates suggest that, when operational, the EBRD-financed project at Sharyn Gol will save some 47 lives a year.
Stoves and Air Pollution Crisis in Mongolia
The washed coal and coal briquettes from these facilities will go to industrial consumers for use in processes such as smelting and cement production, and to households for domestic heating. The expanded facilities following completion of the first phase of the project are expected to produce over 75 thousand tons of semi-coke and briquetting products per annum.
Coal Briquettes in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
With the loan, Sharyn Gol will be able to produce smokeless fuel by 2015 and contribute to improving Ulaanbaatar’s air quality, said Sharyn Gol JSC Director James Passin.
“We are honored to receive a debt financing package from the EBRD, following deep operational, financial, legal, geological, environmental, and social due diligence by the bank and its consultants. The long-term debt financing will enable Sharyn Gol JSC to accelerate its plans to turn its subsidiary NACO Fuels JSC into a producer of smokeless fuel for the Mongolian market. We anticipate that our products will make a material improvement in Ulaanbaatar’s air quality by the winter of 2015,” he said.
Sharyn Gol is a coal producer located in northern Mongolia. The company is listed on the Mongolian Stock Exchange. One of the facilities will be built by its subsidiary NACO Fuels, which is based in the town of Darkhan. The coal mine which produces coal to feed the briquetting retorts is located 215 km north of Ulaanbaatar and 50 km south-east of Darkhan.
To date, the EBRD has invested over US$ 1 billion in Mongolia, all of it in the private sector. A new EBRD strategy for Mongolia, adopted in June this year, identifies sustainable development, including mining, as one of its priorities. The latest EBRD Energy Strategy, adopted in December 2013, names energy efficiency and lower carbon transition as central elements of the Bank’s approach.
Other Air Pollution News from Ulaanbaatar
UB Post, January 7th, 2014
Clean stove project concludes.
UB Post, January 3rd, 2014
Ulaanbaatar welcomes a warm and clear new year.
UB Post, November 19th, 2013
Luxury apartment sales increases in Ulaanbaatar.
UB Post, November 19th, 2013
Mayor promotes electric cars to reduce air pollution.
UB Post, October 8th, 2013
Poison air pollutes the city.
UB Post, October 1st, 2013
UB and JICA launch second phase of air pollution control project.
UB Post, September 15th, 2013
Citizens of the city facing lung damage.
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