Background and project
Erdenet is the second-largest city in Mongolia and the capital of the province of Orkhon. The city was founded in the 1970s in order to exploit one of the largest deposits of copper in the world. Today, after 40 years of mining operations, Erdenet is experiencing a period of change and needs to correct several shortcomings in the field of infrastructure so as to become more attractive for other industrial branches. This is the region’s only opportunity to secure its economic future for a time after the copper mining activities, which will be in about 25 to 30 years. The construction of the solar power plant is part of the extended “Green Energy Scenario”, which describes the transition to renewable energies in the long run.
In order to reduce power cuts and improve stability of the power grid, the Erdenet Mining Corporation intends to construct an innovative diesel hybrid photovoltaic power station in Erdenet. GAUFF Engineering will carry out the feasibility study in preparation for this project. Among other things, the plant shall encompass a solar park with a capacity of 25 MWp with a battery storage system and diesel generator as back-up.
Aside from economical and socio-economic aspects, special attention was paid to the environmental impact assessment of the future hybrid power plant. Any adverse environmental effects due to the project should be avoided as far as possible. At the same time, by means of an optimised design, the positive effects for the local energy supply and the future sustainable development of the region should be maximised. Identifying potential sites for the plant was also part of the study.
Services
Analysis and evaluation of the existing electricity distribution network
Site selection
Preliminary power plant design
Calculation of construction and O&M costs
Cost/benefit estimation
Environmental impact study
Analysis of the technical and economic feasibility
Assessment of socio-economic effects