The installation will supply 23.1GWh per year to the national grid, which powers Ulaanbaatar city and a new national airport that is scheduled to complete this year. The plant, representing 18,000-plus tonnes in CO2 savings, was built with support from the Japanese government.

The Khushight Khundii project follows Sharp’s completion last year of a PV plant, also boasting 16.5 MW of capacity, in the southern desert province of Dornogovi. The firm was also behind a 10MW project announced in 2016 northwest of Ulaanbaatar, described at the time as Mongolia’s first utility-scale PV scheme.

Mongolia is progressing towards a 30% renewable target share by 2030 as it works to power fast-growing Ulaanbaatar and other areas.