Multi-national companies to build coal-fired power plant in Myanmar

A multi-national joint venture involving those from Myanmar, India and Singapore will build a 500- megawatt coal-fired power plant in Kyauktan, Myanmar's Yangon region, official media reported Wednesday.

Under a memorandum of understanding signed in Nay Pyi Taw, the power project will be jointly implemented by Myanmar's Ministry of Electric Power, Orange Powergen Pvt Ltd of India, Global Adviser Pte Ltd of Singapore and local-based Diamond Palace Services Co Ltd through build-operate-transfer (BOT) system.

Upon completion, the plant will increase electricity supply to Yangon region, the report said.

In 2012, the Myanmar ministry launched two gas-fired power projects of 500 megawatts and 120 megawatts in Yangon's Ahlone and Thakayta townships under respective MoUs with multi-national companies involving those from South Korea, Thailand and Singapore.

Myanmar produced up to 9.73 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity in 2012-13, but the demand is still not met.

Due to the high demand, the government is striving to produce electricity from natural gas, diesel, coal fire, solar power, wind power, biogas and waste fuel in addition to hydropower.