Russia interested in boosting electricity exports to Mongolia
MOSCOW. Dec 27 (Interfax) - Russia has expressed interest in increasing electricity exports to Mongolia, according to the protocol published on Tuesday of the 20th meeting of the Russian-Mongolian intergovernmental commission on trade and economic cooperation held in Ulaanbaatar on December 13.
"The Russian side informed the Mongolian side that the technical capability exists to increase supplies of electricity from Russia to Mongolia and expressed interest in increasing them," the protocol said.
Electricity exports to Mongolia rose 7.6% in the first nine months of 2016 year-on-year to 237 million kilowatt-hours (kWh). The exports fell 27% to 284 kWh in 2015. Russia has the technical capability to increase the exports, a spokesman for JSC System Operator UES told Interfax.
"The throughput capacity of the 220-kilovolt Selenduma-Darhan electrical transmission line (on which the exports are made) today is significantly underutilized. In other words, there is the technical ability to increase supplies of electricity and capacity to Mongolia's electricity grid," the spokesman said.
Inter RAO is the commercial operator for the exports. Inter RAO declined to comment to Interfax when asked if the company was interested in boosting exports to Mongolia.