COAL LOADING AT TAVAN TOLGOI SUSPENDED UNTIL BORDER JAM CLEARS

Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/ Starting from December 13, Erdenes Tavan Tolgoi JSC, Tavan Tolgoi JSC and Energy Resources LLC have suspended their coal loading at Tavan Tolgoi mine. The Minister of Mining and Heavy Industry took the measure in an effort to reduce the 120 km logjam of coal trucks at the Gashuunsukhait border crossing. “It has been four months since the situation arose at the Gashuunsukhait border crossing. The decision aims to protect the rights of 4,000 truck drivers who are waiting to pass the border,” said D.Ariunbold, CEO of Erdenes Tavan Tolgoi JSC on December 14, speaking to a MONTSAME correspondent. Is has been estimated that the 4,000 trucks will pass the border within 7-8 days, after which the coal loading will resume at the Tavan Tolgoi mine. After the logjam is relieved, the companies will begin to load coal on a quota in correlation with the number of trucks passing the border on daily basis so as to avoid similar complication. The quota is 45 percent for Erdenes Tavan Tolgoi JSC, 40 percent for Energy Resources LLC and 15 percent for Tavan Tolgoi JSC. By far, Erdenes Tavan Tolgoi JSC has exported 8.5 million tons of coal although it planned to export 11 million tons of coal in 2017. Kh.Aminaa