2024 in review: connecting Mongolia's grid across the border

Both of our key projects in 2024 sit on Mongolia's southern border in Khanbogd Soum, Umnugovi, and both are about cross-border infrastructure: one connects two national power systems, the other powers a new international railway.

The 220 kV Zes-Oyu switching station

To cover power shortages and improve reliability, the Government of Mongolia plans to import electricity from the PRC through the new 220 kV Zes-Oyu switching station next to the Oyu Tolgoi mine. As lead designer, Shugam LLC designed the site layout and flood protection, the primary and secondary circuits and relay protection, operational communication, SCADA and WAMS, the control building, fire protection, and the 220 kV double-circuit line to the Chinese grid, and supervised construction.

The hardest part was making two power systems work as one: communication, SCADA, and relay protection settings had to satisfy both Chinese and Mongolian standards at the same time to ensure synchronous operation. Design of the 220 kV "Zes-Oyu" switching station at the Oyu Tolgoi mine site.

Power for the Gashuunsukhait–Gantsmod cross-border railway

Together with China Railway Design Corporation (CRDC), we designed the external power supply for the new cross-border port railway. The work included expanding the Tavan Tolgoi 35/10 kV substation to 2×6300 kVA with SVG/SVC, expanding the Gashuunsukhait 35/10 kV substation to 2×2000 kVA, new distribution lines, and relocating four 35 kV lines, five 10 kV lines and 10 kV cables that crossed the railway alignment. External power supply for the Gashuunsukhait – Gantsmod cross-border railway.