The Ukhaa Khudag mine development of the national Energy Resources company in Umnugobi aimag has advanced rapidly from 2009 to the present day and has achieved many new results that are a benchmark not only in Mongolia but worldwide. Within the complex, Mongolia’s first coal washing plant, an 18 MW power plant, a water supply system, a 245 km paved road and a housing district have been built and are being expanded. The coal washing plant is based on world-leading coal processing technology and has been a major step in increasing the international competitiveness of Mongolian coal, while the Ukhaa Khudag power plant was built for the first time by the joint effort of Mongolian engineers alone and has brought major progress to infrastructure development in a region far from the centre. Crucially, all this work has been created by Mongolians using their own resources, bringing mining operations of an international standard to their own country. To date, around 5,000 people are employed within this development and more than 650 domestic enterprises work with it as suppliers or contractors.

Presenting the Turiin Gerege award, the President of Mongolia, Ts. Elbegdorj, said: We Mongolians must create, must produce, must do. Through the effort of Mongolian engineers and good managers, a coal washing plant, a power plant and other fine facilities meeting international standards have been created at Tavan Tolgoi in a short time. I consider this a development that can serve as an example for Mongolia’s progress and for other Mongolian producers. My warm congratulations and best wishes to all the creative citizens and managers who took part in and contributed to this work. Be worthy of this high award — congratulations once again.

G. Battsengel, Chief Executive Officer of Energy Resources, who made a valuable contribution to creating the Ukhaa Khudag development, was awarded the Red Banner Order of Labour Merit, and a number of managers and senior staff who worked successfully in key areas such as production, construction and operations were awarded the Polar Star and the Medal of Labour Merit respectively.

Under a decree issued by the President of Mongolia in 2010, it was established that each year an outstanding, historic development that brings a new benchmark to the country’s economic and social development, increases competitiveness and implements world standards would be selected and awarded the “Turiin Gerege”, the highest national development award. The distinctive feature of the award is that it aims to reward, in the name of the state, organisations and teams that have created work of scale and novelty in their own country, and in doing so to spread national creative thinking. Last year the Turiin Gerege award was granted to the great intellectual undertaking of creating the Mongolian edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica.