To facilitate the development of small private energy production, increased access to advanced technology and funding are required, experts told a summit in Yangon.
“The major challenge is that there is little international support. Any laws and regulations concerning private small power producers have yet to be enacted,” said U Aung Myint, chair of Renewable Energy Association Myanmar, said at the energy summit.
“This summit is successful in drawing together international businessmen and experts on the topic. Myanmar provides a good market for them,” he added.
He also discussed the use of environmentally friendly, sustainable and renewable energy sources such as wind power, biomass, solar and hydropower.
It is estimated that only 30 percent of Myanmar’s population has access to electricity. At the summit many suggestions revolved around the use of public-private partnerships in order to rapidly increase rural electrification and improve sustainable green energy sources
“The budget allocated to the department of electricity is not sufficient and increasing the use of renewable energy products will further increase the expenditure.
“These are inexhaustible energy sources, but the cost to implement them is cause for concern. It will prove to be efficient if we can provide it at a reasonable price,” told U Soe Moe, an executive engineer from the Yangon Electricity Supply Board.
Myanmar’s electricity consumption in 2013-14 fiscal year stood at 3,970 megawatts (MW), of which 2,919MW, or 74 percent, was obtained from hydropower. Natural gas and coal contributed to 931.8MW, or 23 percent of total consumption, and 120MW respectively.
The government’s master plan for electricity aims to generate a total of 23,594MW by the 2030-31FY with 8,896MW, or 37.5 percent from hydropower, 9 percent from other renewable energy sources, 20 percent from natural gas and 33.5 percent from coal, according to the Ministry of Electric Power.
