No decision yet on 5th power plant site

The demand for electricity continues to increase along with the population of the capital city. It is believed that 15,000 households live without electricity. The Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy puts the figure at 6,776 and Minister D.Zorigt has said these have been denied electricity connection as they have no permission to own land.

Parliament discussed the issue last week after MP Ts.Batbayar had drawn the attention of Prime Minister S.Batbold to it. The MP feels that the Minister did not present the complete picture and wants the Prime Minister to show more consideration for the problems faced by Ulaanbaatar residents. He specifically wanted information on where matters stood with construction of the 5th power station, repairs to and maintenance of auto roads in the city and plans to build new auto roads.

The Prime Minister was away in Russia and Minister Zorigt replied on behalf of the Government. He said his Ministry was allocated MNT 52.2 billion in 2010, and MNT15.4 billion of this was spent on power stations and the heating network, with MNT21.9 million spent on electricity transmission and sub stations. Of the total money, 87.3% was spent on new connections and 12.7% to provide connection to buildings that were not finished in 2009. The cost of maintaining old and providing new transmission lines and sub stations worked out to 22% or MNT4.8 billion.

Mongolia and the Asian Development Bank will jointly prepare a technical survey of the 5th power station project’s possibility to supply energy that would emit less carbon dioxide and to be set up as a private-public partnership. The head of the consultant company and experts have inspected the site for the station in the 23rd khoroo of Bayanzurkh district but two other spots are also under consideration.

Altogether MNT69 billion and 141.2 million was allocated to build new and repair old auto roads. Of this, MNT4 billion and 65 million came from the budget, and MNT65 billion and 76.2 million from a loan. The work is 70% complete.

Many MPs criticized the progress of the work to supply electricity and heating to ger districts, even though, as Ts.Batbayar said this was promised in the 2008 election. The eastern districts of Ulaanbaatar still have no source of electricity and heating ‘. He asked about the likely date for the decision on where the 5th power station will be built, but Zorigt could only say the issue is being studied jointly with the ADB. There are plans also to expand the 3rd power station.

L.Gundalai wondered if the 5th power station project would pay sufficient attention to issues relating to nature and environment and Zorigt assured him that it will.