AKIPRESS.COM - Russia’s Federal Grid Company (FGC), an affiliate of Rosseti holding, started preparing preliminary feasibility study for the Russia - Mongolia power bridge.

Study results are scheduled to be discussed in the second quarter of 2018, press service of Rosseti told TASS news agency.

"Rosseti represented by subsidiary FGC is currently working on preparation of the mentioned feasibility study. The discussion of findings of the preliminary feasibility study of the Russia - Mongolia power bridge is planned to start in the second quarter of 2018," Rosseti said.

Rosseti proposed earlier to supply electricity to Mongolia that experiences an energy shortage over power transmission lines from power generating facilities in Siberia. The Mongolian side expressed its interest in project execution in January 2018.

It was reported earlier that Rosseti offered a construction project of a 500 kV power transmission line across the territory of Russia and Mongolia. Construction of the power line will make it possible for Russia and Mongolia to provide high quality power supply to regions experiencing problems with electricity deliveries now, mitigate environmental risks from building power plants on the Selenga River and reduce costs of developing the Mongolian energy system.

Russian environmental and scientific circles have repeatedly expressed their concerns about Mongolia’s plans to build a cascade of waterworks at rivers that feed Lake Baikal, the world’s largest and deepest freshwater lake and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Under the plan, three dams were to be built: one at the Selenga River, which accounts for some 80% of all water that flows into the lake, and two at its main tributaries - the Eg River and the Orkhon River.