Nalaikh Coal Mine

The Nalaikh Coal Mine (Mongolian: Налайхын уурхай, lit. 'Nalaikh mine') was a coal mine in Nalaikh, around 30 kilometres away from Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia.^[1] Founded in 1922, it was the first operating mine in the country.

In the early 20th century, during the Qing occupation of Mongolia, the Chinese discovered coal and began mining it by hand in 1912. In the aftermath of the People's Revolution of 1921, the area was nationalized.^[1]

The Nalaikh coal mine was established on 25 December 1922, making it the first mining operation in Mongolia.^[2] In 1938, a railway line was built connecting Nalaikh to Ulaanbaatar's city center to transport coal from the mine.^[3] However, the mine's operations remained seasonal up until the 1950s.^[1]

Between 1954 and 1958, the mine underwent technological upgrades and expansion with the help of the Soviet Union,^[4] becoming the country's first modern mine and a major industrial hub during the socialist era. A settlement gradually grew around the area, granting the surrounding location city status in 1962.^[1]

The Nalaikh mine, during its operational years, supplied brown coal to Ulaanbaatar's thermal power plants and employed around 1,500 people.^[1][5]

With the fall of communism and economic stagnation, the technology required for large-scale underground operations became unaffordable. On 17 December 1990, a fatal methane gas explosion at the site killed 21 people and forced the government to halt production.^[5] On 30 December 1995, the mine was closed permanently.^[1]

Following the closure of the mine, illegal artisanal mining has taken root around the area, with high safety concerns. Derogatorily, the small-scale informal miners are referred to as ninja miners in Mongolia.^[7]

As of 2019, there are reportedly around 200 self-made mines in the region, usually operational seasonally. Coal is not mined in the summer because of loose soil, which dramatically increases the risk of cave-ins. In winter, when the ground is frozen, mining is much safer to operate.

Between 2004 and 2009, 125 people lost their lives, and 287 were injured at the mines. From 2010 to 2013, 61 people died.^[8] Since its closure, more than 180 people have died in the mine according to 2014 data. The death toll from such mining has exceeded 200 as of 2019. On average, approximately 15 people die in cave-ins each year.^[5]

The capital's power plants no longer use the local coal. The production volumes are relatively small and have no industrial value. It is mainly purchased by residents of Nalaikh and Ulaanbaatar for heating their yurts in Ger districts.^[5]

• Mining in Mongolia
• Nalaikh