ADB and LEAP Sign $18.7 Mn Loan Agreement For Financing 5MW Solar Plant in Mongolia

The loan agreement marks ADB’s first co-financing with LEAP in Mongolia’s renewable energy sector.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Leading Asia’s Private Infrastructure Fund (LEAP) today signed an $18.7 million loan with Sermsang Power Corporation Public Company Limited (SSP) and Tenuun Gerel Construction LLC (TGC) to build, operate, and maintain a 15 MW solar power plant supplying electricity to Mongolia’s central grid system.

The loan agreement for the Sermsang Khushig Khundii Solar Project marks ADB’s first co-financing with LEAP in Mongolia’s renewable energy sector. The Canadian Climate Fund for the Private Sector in Asia provided a technical assistance grant to offset first mover costs and to catalyse the financing of ADB’s first private sector solar power project in Mongolia.

“This project uniquely incorporates climate-resilient technical solutions from the private sector to accommodate Mongolia’s cold and dry climate,” said Director General of ADB’s Private Sector Operations Department, Michael Barrow. “The project also benefits from the transfer of operational knowledge and advanced technology from Japan and Thailand in developing and operating solar power plants.”

The solar power plant is located in the Khushig valley at Tuv aimag (province) Sergelen soum (county). It will supply electricity to the Central Energy System, which delivers power to an area accounting for over 80% of the country’s energy demand.

The solar project will generate clean electricity totaling 22.3 GWh annually in Mongolia while lowering the country’s carbon emissions by 26,400 tons per year. It will help the government increase the share of renewable energy in total installed capacity from 12% in 2017 to a targeted 20% by 2023 and 30% by 2030. Shifting to cleaner energy sources will also reduce electricity imports, improve Mongolia’s energy security, and mitigate air pollution. The energy sector is dominated by coal-fired power plants and currently accounts for over 60% of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions.

“For SSP, this project is not only an important milestone for investment in renewable power projects in Asia but also reflects our philosophy in developing ecologically sustainable projects,” said SSP CEO Varut Tummavaranukub. “We are honoured to be trusted by ADB for this milestone transaction.”

LEAP was established in 2016 to fill financing gaps and increase access to finance for ADB-supported infrastructure projects in Asia and the Pacific. The fund is supported by the Japan International Cooperation Agency and is managed by ADB’s Private Sector Operations Department.