Borteeg Tests Whether Mongolia Can Finally Unlock Erdenes Tavan Tolgoi

Mongolia has tried to crack the puzzle of Tavan Tolgoi, its flagship coal deposit, before and failed. This time, it is starting smaller. By launching an international request for expressions of interest for the Borteeg coking coal block, Ulaanbaatar is testing whether a narrower, cleaner tender can succeed where grand national schemes collapsed.

The Tavan Tolgoi coal mine (source: ett.mn)

The state owned miner Erdenes Tavan Tolgoi, or ETT, is working to monetize Borteeg (undeveloped central section of TT) and select investors. The move reflects a recalibration of strategy. Instead of selling the whole crown jewel, the government is carving it into discrete blocks that can be developed without dragging along old disputes and political baggage.

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