Features of Renewable Energy Development in the Republic of Buryatia and Mongolia

Abstract

Every year, humanity is increasingly faced with a shortage of electricity on the one hand, and with an increase in greenhouse gas emissions after the generation of electricity at thermal power plants (TPPs), on the other. Energy is the dominant driver of climate change and accounts for about 60 percent of total global greenhouse gas emissions. The article is devoted to the analysis of renewable energy development in the Republic of Buryatia and Mongolia over the past 10 years. The constantly growing demand for electricity and relatively small energy capacities are forcing the Republic of Buryatia (to a greater extent) and Mongolia, which are limited in some types of economic activity, to look for new sources of energy. One of these restrictions is the ban on the construction of hydroelectric power plants on the rivers of the Baikal Lake basin. Therefore, Buryatia and Mongolia have embarked on the path of building environmentally friendly power plants and have succeeded in many ways. In last years, in connection with the UN Sustainable Development Goals on the development of infrastructure for the provision of affordable and clean energy (Goal 7), there has been a need to develop renewable energy sources. One of the priority areas for the development of renewable, including alternative, energy in Buryatia and Mongolia is solar, wind, hydro and geothermal energy. UN Sustainable Development Goal 7 aims to ensure universal access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all. As part of the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goal 7, solar and wind power plants have been actively built in Buryatia and Mongolia over the past 10 years. Despite the high costs of their creation, the contribution to alternative energy is a long-term and profitable investment in infrastructure. At least investors (including foreign ones) investing in a seemingly lowprofit project look far into the future. Smart investors do not run after «quick money», realizing that the constructed power plants will pay off for a long time, since at the moment of development they have a relatively low efficiency. Despite the criticism, they are investing in green energy, modern infrastructure, and a future without emissions (CO2, NO2, SO2 and other Greenhouse gases) from burning coal, fuel oil and firewood. For the qualitative development of the economy, it is necessary, first of all, a balanced development of generating and network capacities, therefore, it is possible to solve the problem of shortage of electricity without a heavy burden on the environment only by developing alternative energy (renewable energy sources).