Rio Tinto and Turquoise Mountain Resources submitted a feasibility study for the 300MW Tavan Tolgoi power plant to the Mongolian government through their joint venture Oyu Tolgoi. The Tawan Tolgoi power plant aims to supply power to the Oyu Tolgoi copper-gold mine in the South Gobi Desert, which has been producing since early 2013.

The construction cost of this coal-based power plant is estimated to be as high as $ 924 million and will provide long-term domestic power solutions for copper-gold mines and the wider South Gobi region.

The power plant will be built at the Tsogttsetsii soum in the province of Umnugovi and will be controlled by Oyu Tolgoi. It will be built near the Tavan Tolgoi coal mine, which is nearly 150 kilometers from the Oyu Tolgoi copper-gold project.

Currently, according to the power purchase agreement reached with the State Power Transmission Network and the Inner Mongolia Electric Power Company, the copper-gold mine will be powered by China's western Inner Mongolia power grid via overhead power lines. It is expected that the two units of the new Mongolian power plant will be put into use by June 2024.

Turfise Hill Resources CEO Ulf Quellmann said: "The safety of safe, reliable and stable long-term power supply is essential for the development of underground mining projects like Oyu Tolgoi. We will continue to represent all stakeholders with the Mongolian government and Rio Tinto collaborates to determine preferred power solution for Oyu Tolgoi. "

Arnaud Soirat, CEO of Rio Tinto Copper and Diamonds, said: "Rio Tinto, Turquoise Mountain and the Mongolian government are committed to ensuring a reliable and long-term domestic source of electricity for the Oyu Tolgoi coal mine and are working together to achieve this. EDIT / Zhao Yongjing