During a working visit to Japan from June 1 to 3, Speaker of Parliament Z.Enkhbold became acquainted with the activities of the Nakoso Power Plant (NPP), and discussed introducing the plant's advanced technology in Mongolia. NPP, operated by Joban Joint Power Co., Ltd, extracts gas from coal to produce energy and heat. The plant opened in 1955 and can generate 1.7 million kWh. Since its establishment, Joban Joint Power has been developing the plant by introducing and testing new technology, including the integrated coal gasification combined cycle (IGCC). In 2013, the company opened their tenth furnace using IGCC. The Speaker learned about the operation of the furnace, which has a 250 megawatt capacity. The general engineer of the plant said that in comparison to other raw materials, coal is the most important raw material for energy and heat production. The engineer said that the plant uses around 400,000 tons of coal annually to produce energy and heat with IGCC technology, while other power plants use around 1.5 million tons of coal per year. The plant used to use local coal, but now the plant imports foreign coal. During the tour of the plant, Speaker Enkhbold said, “Japan has spent money for clean coal technology and established such a power plant. It is great that Japan is aiming to share their achievement with the rest of the world. Mongolia is ranked 10th in accordance with its coal reserves, we need to introduce this advanced technology to Mongolia." Mongolian and Japanese representatives touring NPP[/caption] The Speaker said that NPP consists of two parts, one that converts coal into gas, and another that produces power. He said that by converting coal into gas, many other raw materials - including polypropylene, nitrogen-based fertilizer, and plastic can be produced. “During my visit, the Ministry of Mining of Mongolia and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan will sign a memorandum on cooperation supporting the exchange of clean coal technology. The memorandum will create possibilities for Mongolia and Japan to collaborate on introducing advanced technology, conduct studies, and increase coal efficiency. By gasifying coal through IGCC technology and producing energy and heat, no waste is created; waste from coal is used for filling paved roads and ashes are used for cement production. In order to make it a real project, Mongolia and Japan signed the economic partnership agreement. Now, all gates are open for us, and we believe that Mongolia can use its coal more efficiently.” The Head of the NPP said, “Mongolia has great potential for introducing IGCC technology. Mongolia has resources of many types of coal. There are possibilities for conducting analysis on many types of coal and direct use of the appropriate coal.”