Page 13 - AsiaElec Week 36 2022

AsiaElec COAL AsiaElec

Mongolia launches coal and

minerals rail transit project

that took decade to build

SOUTH KOREA MONGOLIA spent around a decade building also contribute significantly to air and dust pol-
the Tavantolgoi-Gashuunsukhait (TT-GS) coal lution. Truck drivers have also suffered from a
and minerals railway transit line for the trans- lack of rest stations along the way to the border,
port of coal and minerals from the country’s making their trips hauling coal to China’s border
largest mines in Southgobi to the Chinese bor- both arduous and dangerous, especially given
der. The railway is now operational. Its first trains that most truck drivers sleep and eat in their
departed on September 9. vehicle.
It is projected that once the railway is fully The TT-GS railway will have a line haul of
operational, 2,000 regular jobs will be created. 240 km, or around 300 track-km when terminal
On the negative side, the devastation of animal tracks, loading points, and stabling facilities are
pastures, and the amount of dust, soil and air factored in. The railway will enable cross-bor-
pollution will be decreased by an overall 74%, der rail transportation, potentially doubling
according to some experts. Mongolia’s coal exports and cutting the cost of
Coal haul trucks were previously used to transporting coal from the mine to the border
deliver coal from the key mines to the border. by 75%.™
Trucks not only ruin paved roads, however, they

Week 36 07•September•2022 www. NEWSBASE .com P13