The 55MW Sainshand wind farm project in Mongolia was announced in August 2017. It is being developed near Sainshand city in the Gobi desert in Mongolia.
The $120m project will have a capacity of 55MW and is expected to produce an estimated 190,000MWh of electricity annually.
Construction of the wind farm started in 2018 and is estimated to be completed by the first half of 2019.
ENGIE, Ferrostaal, Danish Climate Investment Fund (DCIF), and Mongolian entepreneur Radnaabazar Davaanyam have established Sainshand Salkhin Park LLC to develop the wind farm.
Project Gallery
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The 55MW Sainshand wind farm is being developed in the Gobi desert in Mongolia. Image courtesy of Sainshand Salkhin Park LLC.
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Sainshand Salkhin Park LLC is developing the project with an estimated investment of $120m. Image courtesy of Sainshand Salkhin Park LLC.
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Sainshand wind farm is being jointly developed by a group of investors including ENGIE and Ferrostaal. Image courtesy of Sainshand Salkhin Park LLC.
Sainshand wind farm location
The Sainshand wind farm is being developed on a 486ha site located 460km south-east of Ulaanbaatar and 5km from the city of Sainshand. The site is located 250km away from the Zamiin-uud Port to China, which will make transportation of equipment easier and cheaper.
The wind assessment of the site has concluded that it is a powerhouse of wind resources, with an average speed of 7.7m/sec at 80m.
Sainshand wind project details
The Sainshand wind farm will feature 25 Vestas wind turbines having a rated capacity of 2.2MW each. The power generated by the turbines will be transferred to an on-site substation.
A transformer will step-up the voltage of the electricity from 35kV to 110kV, following which it will be transported on to a grid connection point, through a 4km-long transmission line.
The project achieved a key milestone in March 2018 with the on-site arrival of the Vestas turbines and equipment. Installation of the first wind turbine of the wind farm was completed by the end of April 2018.
"The Sainshand wind farm will feature 25 Vestas wind turbines having a rated capacity of 2.2MW each."
Details of turbines installed at Sainshand wind farm
The Vestas 2.2MW turbines feature 19% larger overall average swept area, which helps in harvesting more energy. The new-age turbines integrate advanced aerodynamic engineering with analytical and operational data to reduce the cost of operation.
The rotor diameter of the turbine is 120m and swept area is 11,310m². The hub height of the turbines is 80m, while the blades are 59m in length. The nacelle of the turbine is 10.4m-long and 3.5m-wide.
Financing for Sainshand wind farm
The European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) are providing long-term financing of $78.5m and $31.5m respectively for the project.
Contractors involved
ENGIE’s subsidiary Tractebel will be responsible for the construction of the wind farm.
Mott MacDonald is acting as the technical, social and environmental advisor to the lenders and is also in charge of monitoring the construction and operation.
Ferrostaal provided project development, project management and engineering services for the project.
Sainshand wind farm benefits
The Sainshand wind farm is the third large-scale wind power project being developed in Mongolia. It is expected to supply sufficient electricity to power approximately 130,000 homes in the country. The project is also expected to reduce 200,000t in carbon emissions and save clean natural water of up to two million cubic metres.
The wind farm is also part of the Mongolian government’s goal of adding 20% of the energy mix with renewable energy by 2020 and 30% by 2030. The project will bring in more than $100m in foreign direct investment to the country.