YANGON: (Bernama) Myanmar located in the sunbelt is shifting to solar energy to ramp up its energy supply after its power infrastructures were damaged by natural disasters and the ongoing conflict in the country.
Damaged transmission lines and power plants are unable to cope with rising demand for power in the second-largest Southeast Asian country, home to nearly 55 million people.
The state media, Global New Light of Myanmar, reported in January that the power sector is only able to generate about 2,200 megawatts of electricity daily, therefore, supplying nearly 50 per cent of the total demand.
This was attributed to the destruction of 14 major power transmission lines.
Typhoon Yagi flooded hydroelectric and coal-fired power plants and damaged power lines in the country last September.
The raging conflict between government forces and armed-ethnic groups in some parts of the country has further dented electricity production.
According to the state media, Myanmar has 28 hydropower plants, 27 gas-fired power plants and eight solar power plants with a total installed capacity of 6,371 MW.
Electric Power and Energy Development Commission chairman Admiral Tin Aung San said the conflict and natural disasters destroyed 12 hydropower plants and gas-fired stations, reported the state media.
This has directly impacted power generation causing a supply-demand gap in the market - forcing the government to implement renewable energy projects quickly.
"Therefore, the electricity needs of the country are higher than before. The power-generation projects possibly using renewable energy resources will be implemented rapidly,” he said at the Electric Power and Energy Development Commission’s meeting on Friday (Jan 31), reported the state media.
Tin Aung San said the nine solar power plants under construction have a total installed capacity of 530 MW and the two hybrid (gas engine and solar) projects are able to produce 496 MW. Therefore, the solar and hybrid projects can generate 1,026 MW once commissioned.
Myanmar’s national energy mix includes hydroelectric, natural gas, solar and wind power.
The World Bank's "Energy Poverty Amid Plenty” published last June identified the power sector woes as structural, fundamental and associated with political instability, conflict and macroeconomic conditions.
"Intensified armed conflicts spreading across various geographic areas are expected to prevent all attempts at increasing power supply, such as resuming the operation of abandoned hydropower plants, repairing damaged transmission lines and constructing new grid-connected solar plants in dry zones,” said the report.
According to the World Bank, Myanmar launched a tender in 2020 to build 30 solar power plants nationwide to increase its renewable energy supply.
However, only one power plant was built while others failed after the military coup in February 2021, and 29 were cancelled.
"Myanmar is in the ‘sunbelt’ with the highest solar potential reaching 6.6 kilowatt-hours per square metre per day on a horizontal surface in the dry zone (Mandalay, Sagaing and Magway regions).
"Myanmar thus has greater energy generation potential and more options for meeting its needs than most countries in the region,” said the World Bank. - Bernama
