A feasibility study for building a waste processing factory in Ulaanbaatar has been approved, according to the Ulaanbaatar Mayor’s Office.  Ulaanbaatar General Manager and Head of the Ulaanbaatar Mayor’s Office T.Gantumur gave a brief interview about the factory to be built with investment from a Chinese company.  Can you tell us about the feasibility of the new waste processing factory? We conducted feasibility studies and environmental assessment for constructing a factory that will produce energy from waste. The National Committee for Air Pollution Reduction (now the National Committee for Environmental Pollution Reduction), Ministry of Energy and Ministry of Environment, Green Development and Tourism have approved the feasibility studies. We plan to build the factory within the next two to three years with the latest technologies from Austria, and 100 percent financing from a Chinese company.  Has the production capacity of the factory been decided? The capital produces roughly 2,500 to 3,500 tons of waste a day and 1.1 million tons of waste a year. It was estimated that 300 to 400 tons of this sum will be processed at the factory. We will work together with the associated ministry. It’s necessary to determine the costs required for building the factory, where to import equipment and devices from, and who will manage these issues. An in-depth distribution of roles will be made for the Mongolian government, Ulaanbaatar authorities, and state-owned companies. There are quite a few small and medium-sized companies engaged in waste management and recycling in Mongolia. Nevertheless, we will build the first factory capable of producing energy from waste. The Prime Minister and Ulaanbaatar Mayor are paying a great deal of attention to this matter. We predict that the factory will be established in two years.  Where will the factory be built? We plan to build it in a place near a power station with good energy resource and infrastructure. A five-hectare land was allocated but there was quite a big issue with it as it overlaps with a private property.  How much funding is required for the factory? So far, we haven’t calculated it. In general, the Chinese side decided to invest around 300 million USD in advance but asked the Mongolian side to take part in the project to some extent and share some of the responsibility.  How many new jobs will the new factory provide once it is commissioned? Experts assessed that a factory capable of processing 300 to 400 square meters of waste is adequate for Ulaanbaatar. Based on preliminary studies, up to 600 new jobs will become available.