Green Hydrogen Applications in Mongolia

The study assesses green hydrogen in Mongolia, finding it most viable for heavy-duty mining transport in the South Gobi region, where it could mitigate 1.2 Mt CO2e annually. While production costs are competitive at 3.3-4.7 USD/kg, water scarcity in the south poses a limit. Public transport in Ulaanbaatar is a possible but limited-scale application, while decentralised heating is currently not cost-competitive compared to LPG.

• Green hydrogen production in Mongolia is estimated to be relatively affordable, costing between 3.3 and 4.7 USD/kg, which is lower than the 2020 global average of 4.8 USD/kg. The South Gobi region is the most cost-effective location for production, although local water scarcity may limit potential.
• Heavy-duty transport in the mining sector is the most promising application for green hydrogen. Transitioning to fuel cell trucks for all copper and half of iron ore production could reduce annual emissions by approximately 1.2 Mt CO2e (about 3.5% of 2014 national emissions) at an abatement cost of 10 USD/tCO2e. In 2020, fuel cell-based trucks were only 12% more expensive than new diesel trucks regarding energy delivered to the wheel.
• Using fuel cell buses for public transportation in Ulaanbaatar would be 15% more expensive than new diesel buses. Due to the small fleet size, the mitigation potential is limited to approximately 39 ktCO2e annually, with abatement costs exceeding 100 USD/tCO2e.
• Green hydrogen is currently not a feasible near-term option for decentralised heating and cooking, as it is 148% more expensive than LPG. However, it remains a potential long-term option for seasonal energy storage to decarbonise the emissions-intensive heating sector.

APA

NewClimate Institute (2021). Green Hydrogen Applications in Mongolia. http://www.newclimate.org/resources/publications/green-hydrogen-applications-in-mongolia

Chicago

NewClimate Institute. Green Hydrogen Applications in Mongolia. 2021. http://www.newclimate.org/resources/publications/green-hydrogen-applications-in-mongolia.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=NewClimate Institute |title=Green Hydrogen Applications in Mongolia |date=24 September 2021 |url=http://www.newclimate.org/resources/publications/green-hydrogen-applications-in-mongolia |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{newclimateinstitute2021green, author = {{NewClimate Institute}}, title = {{Green Hydrogen Applications in Mongolia}}, institution = {NewClimate Institute}, year = {2021}, month = sep, url = {http://www.newclimate.org/resources/publications/green-hydrogen-applications-in-mongolia}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }