Ulaanbaatar
Oyu Tolgoi transfers major power line asset to Government
PoliticsUlaanbaatar /MONTSAME/ Oyu Tolgoi LLC signed Monday two major agreements with the National Power Transmission Grid state-owned company to transfer and maintain the 96km power line, built and owned by the company and running between the Oyu Tolgoi site in the Umnugobi region and the Mongolia-China border, reports the "ot.mn".
Present at the ceremony were the State Secretary for Ministry of Energy D.Delgertsogt, Erdenes MGL CEO B.Byambasaikhan, senior government representatives, also Rio Tinto Country-Director S.Munkhsukh, and Oyu Tolgoi Chief Financial Officer Steve Duggan.
DDelgertsogt said, “This is an important day for the energy sector of Mongolia. Our national power grid now connects to our two neighbours with reliable, high-quality infrastructure, helping Mongolia’s energy security in the near term, and in the long term, supporting our transition from an energy importing nation to an exporter.
“This also supports our strategy, under the Power Sector Cooperation Agreement signed with Oyu Tolgoi, to enhance access to reliable power in the Umnugobi region to support population centres and the growth of industry.”
In is turn, Steve Duggan said,“We are proud to deliver on our commitment in transferring this high-quality asset to the Government of Mongolia. This is a noteworthy example of Oyu Tolgoi's achieving goals together with our stakeholders. The power line is important not just for Oyu Tolgoi, but can be a catalyst for greater development in the region.”
The line was built in 2011 to allow for the import of electricity from China to support Oyu Tolgoi’s operations. The agreement completes the Company’s commitment of transferring ownership of the asset to the Government of Mongolia. The transfer also ties into the August 2014 "Power Sector Cooperation Agreement" between the Government of Mongolia and Oyu Tolgoi, which aims to work towards a power solution for the Umnugobi region, providing a pathway for strengthening the power supply network in Mongolia.
