3,381.24
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.
