Mott MacDonald is to monitor construction and operations at Engie’s 55MW Sainshand wind farm in Mongolia.

The project, which is located in the Gobi desert, will consist of 25 2.2MW Vestas wind turbines when it becomes operational in the first half of 2019.

Mott MacDonald was also the lenders’ technical, environmental and social advisor during the scheme’s financing stage.

The due diligence included reviewing early stage designs, the track-record of each project participant, the wind farm schedule and contractual arrangements, construction and operational plans, grid impact study and energy yield assessment.

The consultancy also undertook environmental and social impact assessments and analysed how the corresponding plans would feed into the financial model.

Mott MacDonald project director Matthias Vinard said: “Sainshand will be the country’s third commercial-scale wind farm and our experience on the first two has been significantly useful in understanding the country-specific challenges being faced, such as grid integration.” 

The Sainshand wind farm is expected to become operational in the first half of 2019.

The project reached financial close earlier this month following a $120m financing package from a group of international investors and financial institutions.

Image: Vestas