A Multiple Benefits Assessment of the Utilization of High-Efficiency Heat Only Boilers in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Abstract

Coal is the cheapest and most abundant fuel available in Mongolia, accounting for over 90% of the country's total final energy consumption. According to the US Energy Information Administration, the demand for coal consumption in Mongolia has peaked 8800 thousand short tons in 2018, which has led to worsening air pollution, (U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) n.d.). Mongolia’s most polluted air is found in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia’s capital, with almost 46% of its population and 49% of its gross domestic production. Mongolia’s National Agency for Meteorology, Hydrology, and Environment Monitoring reported that, in December 2015, the measured PM_2.5, PM₁₀, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide levels are far in excess of global standards (NSO.MN n.d.). Today, Ulaanbaatar is known as one of the worst cities in the world for air pollution. Driven by population growth and economic development in this city, the demand for heating has been grown rapidly by 40% between 2006 and 2018, and it is expected to increase from 20 PJ in 2018 to 30 PJ in 2030 (NSO.MN n.d.).