300,000 tons of coal briquettes to be produced in 2018

Cabinet is planning to fund the production of 300,000 tons of coal briquettes, dubbed “improved” fuel, to gradually phase out the burning of raw coal by May 2019. In March 2018, Cabinet made the decision to prohibit the use of raw coal in Ulaanbaatar by May 2019.

In order to accomplish this, Cabinet is planning to produce coal briquettes that will replace the 1.1 million tons of raw coal that is burned by 214,000 households every year. Authorities have calculated that because the energy density of Tavan Tolgoi coal is good, only 600,000 tons of the improved fuel will be necessary to fully replace the 1.1 million tons.

Cabinet Secretariat G.Zandanshatar and the administration of Erdenes Mongol visited Tavan Tolgoi Fuel, one of the factories tasked with producing improved fuel. Tavan Togloi Fuel has the capacity to produce 100,000 tons of improved fuel per year. According to J.Batbileg, general manager of the company, their coal can hold its heat for up to eight hours. In addition, officials say that the coal briquettes will be cheaper than raw coal in the long run due to the fact that less is needed.

Three factories around Ulaanbaatar are expected to produce 100,000 tons of coal briquettes respectively, bringing the total amount of coal briquettes produced in 2018 to 300,000 tons.

Moving forward, Cabinet said it will be constructing new factories, promoting the use of electric heaters, increase the use of liquefied gas, and urbanize the ger districts. Authorities believe air pollution can be reduced by up to 50 percent if these actions are taken.

Cabinet Secretariat G.Zandanshatar also visited a South Korean company producing coal briquettes on an experimental basis, reported Cabinet.