Mongolia had a total primary energy supply (TPES) of 6.66 Mtoe in 2019. Electricity consumption was 7.71 TWh. Mongolia is a big producer of coal, which is mostly exported.[1] Domestic consumption of coal accounts for about 70% of Mongolia's primary energy and makes up most of the electricity generation, accounting for about 87% of the domestic electricity production in 2019.[2]
See also: List of power stations in Mongolia. In 2010, the total amount of electricity produced by all types of power plant in Mongolia are 4,256.1 GWh (thermal power), 31 GWh (hydroelectric), 13.2 GWh (diesel) and 0.6 GWh (solar and wind).[3] In 2012, coal was used to generate 98% of the electricity in Mongolia.[4]
| Electricity generation by power source (GWh)[5] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Coal | Oil | Hydro | Wind | |
| 2015 | 4670 | 10 | 70 | 150 | |
| 2014 | 4510 | 10 | 60 | 120 | |
| 2013 | 4280 | 10 | 60 | 50 | |
Coal-fired power stations are the dominant type of electricity generation in Mongolia and may also supply heat. There are 7 currently active power stations.
| List | Constructed in | Defunct | Electrical capacity (MW) | Thermal capacity(Gcal/year) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ulaanbaatar Thermal Power Plant 1 | 1934 | 1988 | |||
| Ulaanbaatar Thermal Power Plant 2 | 1961 | - | 24 | 55 | |
| Ulaanbaatar Thermal Power Plant 3 | 1968 | - | 186 | 585 | |
| Ulaanbaatar Thermal Power Plant 4 | 1983 | - | 700 | 1373 | |
| Baganuur Thermal Plant | 1980 | - | - | 300 | |
| Erdenet Thermal Power Plant | 1987 | - | 28.8 | 302.5 | |
| Dalanzadgad Thermal Power Plant | 2000 | - | |||
| Darkhan Thermal Power Plant | 1965 | - | 48 | 1196 | |
| Amgalan Thermal Plant | 2016 | - | - | ||
| Dornod Thermal Power Plant | 1970 | 36 |
In 2018, 7% of Mongolia's electricity came from renewable power sources, mainly wind power.[6] Mongolia has very sunny weather with average insolation above 1,500 W/m2 in most of the country, making solar power highly available. 247 MW of solar power plants have been approved for construction. Guaranteed power purchase agreements and favorable tariff structures promote further growth of the industry.
In 2018, much of Mongolia's electricity consumption was driven by industry and construction.
| Industry & Construction | 47 | |
| Transport & Communication | 3 | |
| Agriculture | 1 | |
| Household & Communal Housing | 18 | |
| Others | 7 | |
| Transmission & Distribution Losses | 12 | |
| Station Usage | 12 | |
| Export | 0 |