Mongolia has vast wind resources with much energy-producing potential. The country’s resources were mapped in 2001 by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory of the United States Department of Energy[1]. The report provided detailed maps and analysis of each region of Mongolia. Mongolia’s wind resources vary according to location and season. In general, Mongolia has prevailing westerly winds due to the jet stream, seasonal winds vary but most areas have maximum wind in April and May and/or October and November, and have minimum wind in July and August. Regionally, good wind resources are found on ridgetops, in some passes, in the Gobi, and in the plains of central and eastern Mongolia. Full details are available in the report.
Energy
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One of MISED's main objectives is to promote the use of renewable energy in Mongolia and find feasible and affordable technologies. Renewable energy currently accounts for 0.25% of Mongolia's energy supply, but the potential to improve this number is great. Mongolia has tremendous wind and sun resources, and the possibility of implementing geothermal power has hardly been explored. But the country also has the most coal reserves per capita in the world, so there is currently little motivation to invest heavily in renewables. Coal in Mongolia is currently one sixth the price of coal in the United States. At MISED, we are currently researching Mongolia's energy resources to determine the locations best suited for renewable energy as well as new technologies that could be implemented affordably and possibly compete with coal's price point of about 4 cents per kWh. |
SolarSolar energy is very attractive in Mongolia. Most parts of the country receive about 300 days of sunlight a year. 70% of the country has been classified as having high insolation (Incoming Solar Radiation) of 5.5-6.0 kWh/m2 per day with annual sunshine duration of 2900 to 3000 hours per year. The steppe, the Altai-Gobi, and the Gobi regions of Mongolia have this amount of insolation. 18% of the country has moderate levels of insolation of 4.5-5.5 kWh/m2 per day with an annual sunshine duration of 2600-2900 hours per year. Areas with this level of insolation are mainly in the mountain ranges. And 12% of the country has low levels of insolation, receiving less than 4.5 kWh/m2 per day and fewer than 2600 hours of sunshine per year. GeothermalMongolia is not famous as a place with much geothermal activity, but it does exist. There are 43 known hot springs that come to the surface in Mongolia as part of a broader region of geothermal activity. These springs are mainly in the Altai, Khentii and Khangai mountain ranges, where there is poor infrastructure. Currently, the springs are used mainly for non-medicinal health purposes and spas. No hydrogeological research has yet been done into the ability of these springs to provide geothermal power, but the potential could be vast. |
