In a groundbreaking collaboration in 2021, Michael Short, an associate professor specializing in nuclear science and engineering, teamed up with Manduhai Buyandelger, a professor of anthropology with deep ties to Mongolia. Their adventurous partnership aimed to develop a molten salt heat bank designed to provide efficient heating solutions in colder climates, particularly in Mongolia, where energy access poses significant challenges.
A key initiative, named Anthro-Engineering Decarbonization at the Million-Person Scale, was launched to propel the heat bank concept forward in Mongolia, showcasing its potential as a scalable source of clean heat for similar environments worldwide. The project benefited from funding through the MIT Climate and Sustainability Consortium Seed Awards program, as well as additional support from several MIT initiatives aimed at fostering collaboration and innovation in energy sustainability.
As part of this initiative, the collaborators created a specialized anthropology course aimed at educating MIT undergraduates on Mongolia’s distinct energy and climate challenges, as well as the broader historical, social, and economic landscapes that the heat bank would ideally integrate into. The course, 21A.S01 (Anthro-Engineering: Decarbonization at the Million-Person Scale), prepares students for an impactful January Independent Activities Period (IAP) trip to Ulaanbaatar, where they engage with local families, conduct research, and collaborate with peers while considering the needs of Mongolian communities.
As the project enters its third year, yielding promising results, Buyandelger and Bonilla reflect on the complexities faced by anthropologists attempting to introduce clean energy technologies in a nation rich in history and cultural diversity.
Q: Your involvement in the molten salt heat bank project represents a departure from your usual academic endeavors. How did this venture come about?
Buyandelger: As an anthropologist focused on contemporary religion, politics, and gender in Mongolia, my experience with the hard sciences is limited. My strength lies in listening and weaving narratives. When I first encountered the molten salt heat bank concept, I was immediately mindful of various challenges rooted in the socio-economic and cultural context of Mongolia. For instance, the salt brick needs to be heated to an impressive 400 degrees Celsius at a central facility before being transported to homes. Given the transportation difficulties in Ulaanbaatar, I was concerned about road safety while delivering the salt bricks to traditional gers, where many residents live. Initially, the device seemed overly ambitious; however, I recognized the incredible educational opportunity this project presented. It allowed students to use the heat bank as part of a comprehensive ethnographic study, diving into the daily lives of locals—especially during the harsh winter—and exploring how they might adopt this new energy solution.
Bonilla: My first visit to Mongolia was in the early 2000s, during which the stark effects of climate change were evident. A massive migration to the capital followed devastating rural weather events. The burgeoning coal mining sector became essential for the economy, leading me to investigate how communities reconciled the industry’s job creation with its negative environmental impact. My training as a human geographer enables me to connect local conditions to broader global patterns. In Mongolia, coal is often linked to national growth, which, coupled with historical experiences, caused a general skepticism towards external initiatives aiming to improve local living conditions. Hence, my perspective on the molten salt project was that it would not be a panacea; rather, it was vital for students to engage in a practical, project-based learning experience.
Q: After two years, what insights have you and your students gained from the class and Ulaanbaatar field trips?
Buyandelger: We were determined to ensure that MIT students approached their visit to Mongolia with a genuine, participatory mindset rather than acting like detached consultants. We instilled anthropological methods that empowered them to comprehend real-life experiences and bridge the gap between people and cutting-edge technologies. Students from various backgrounds—engineering, anthropology, and social sciences—emerged as critical thinkers, gaining insight into the realities of life in ger districts. While living with families in Ulaanbaatar during winter months, they experienced firsthand the extreme cold, pollution, and the challenges people face daily, shaping their understanding of how the molten salt heat bank could integrate into residents’ lives.
Bonilla: In the classroom, we emphasize that many interventions fail due to a disconnect during implementation or because the technology doesn’t address actual needs. Anthropology plays a key role here by expanding our perspective of the intervention landscape. We engaged in challenging discussions around the differing professional paradigms between engineers and social scientists. Engineers often work in defined parameters, sometimes overlooking the contextual factors influencing their inventions. Our discussions revealed that our project thrives on dynamic collaboration between technical and humanistic approaches.
Q: What is the current progress of the molten salt brick project?
Bonilla: Through our research in Mongolia, we have successfully created a viable prototype. Our partners at NUM are developing a hybrid stove that integrates the molten salt brick, with guidance from Nathan Melenbrink of MIT’s NEET program, involving our engineering students in the prototyping process. The concept is for families to heat the stove using coal once daily, allowing it to warm their homes overnight. Based on our anthropological findings, we believe this approach may prove more effective than the initial heat bank concept. While it won’t eliminate coal usage, it aims to significantly reduce emissions in Ulaanbaatar’s ger districts. Our immediate challenge is securing funding for NUM to test various salt combinations and stove designs and to collaborate with local blacksmiths on the project.
This combined stove and heat bank won’t solve Mongolia’s heating and pollution crisis entirely, but it has the potential to inspire further innovative ideas. We believe that we are sowing seeds that will yield unforeseen outcomes and fostering new relationships between MIT and Mongolian students, while encouraging engineers to embrace more human-centric perspectives in their work.
Buyandelger: Our efforts illustrate the crucial role of anthropology in addressing the unpredictable effects of climate change. Without our ethnographic research and Dr. Bonilla’s prepared observations, it would have been impossible to understand how to prototype effectively or adapt the molten salt brick to local needs. This project underscores how essential anthropology is for translating engineering ideas from the lab into tangible community solutions.
Bonilla: Ultimate solutions for climate change will arise from grounded, community-driven initiatives. While rapid solutions are necessary, implementing new technologies like molten salt bricks requires time and careful cultivation. The outcomes of our endeavors remain uncertain, but the project is undeniably fostering a wealth of promising developments.
Photo credit & article inspired by: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
