Electricity in Mongolia in 2023/2024

Mongolia's current state of electricity consumption heavily leans towards fossil fuels, with a staggering 91% derived from coal. This leaves clean energy sources like wind to contribute a mere 9% to the country's electricity mix. Spanning the past twelve months from August 2023 to July 2024, this dependency on coal signifies a critical need for balancing the electricity generation portfolio. Considering the environmental drawbacks of fossil fuels, such as climate change and air pollution, a shift towards more sustainable and low-carbon electricity sources is essential for Mongolia’s future.

Suggestions

To increase low-carbon electricity generation, Mongolia could look towards countries that have successfully implemented and scaled up their clean energy sectors. Denmark, for example, generates nearly 60% of its electricity from wind, proving that substantial investments and supportive policies in wind energy can lead to remarkable achievements. Similarly, Uruguay, with 36% of its electricity coming from wind, demonstrates that effective integration of wind power is feasible even for less densely populated nations. Mongolia, with its vast landscapes, has significant potential for expanding wind and solar energy. Furthermore, exploring nuclear energy as seen in countries like France and Slovakia, where it constitutes more than half of the electricity mix, could offer Mongolia a stable and reliable low-carbon energy source.

History

Examining Mongolia’s history with low-carbon electricity, wind and solar energy have shown gradual but promising increases in recent years. In the late 2010s, the introduction of wind began in earnest, with incremental increases of 0.2 TWh in 2018, 2019, and most recently during the period of 2023-2024. Similarly, solar energy saw a slight increase in 2019 and again in 2021, although both saw no growth in other periods. Despite some fluctuations, these steps mark the beginning of Mongolia's commitment to integrating low-carbon sources within its energy landscape. To amplify this growth, Mongolia could adopt more ambitious targets and steady policy frameworks that allow for sustainable energy development. In doing so, Mongolia can move towards a cleaner and more sustainable future.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade

Data Sources