Malaysia
Repowering Myanmar For A Better Future
With great progress, comes even greater demand. With over 74% of Myanmar’s population lacking access to electricity, the need to have an efficient power generation system could not be more important. As a country, it is imperative for Myanmar to build the right infrastructure and partner with the right companies to provide the most efficient technology, and ultimately, cost savings to the people of the Myanmar.
Following Jeffrey Immelt, Chairman & CEO of GE, recent visit to Myanmar, GE and Myanma Electric Power Enterprise have agreed on forming a new commitment to help in repowering and upgrading existing gas turbines in Myanmar. This initiative will result in approximately 30MW of additional power for Myanmar, which is needed to help the country continue on its rapid development path, and this upgraded equipment will result in a large increase in overall efficiency, delivering more power with the same amount of fuel.
Read more to find out the efforts taken.
Myanmar is one of the five major energy exporters in the region, especially in natural gas. It has a proven natural gas reserves of 7.8 trillion cubic feet and is an important source of government revenue. However, there is insufficient supply to meet local demand. 74% of Myanmar population lack access to electricity.
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Myanmar relies heavily on both traditional biomass and hydropower for its energy needs. Approximately 75% of energy is derived from fuel wood with 70% from hydropower. However, during the dry season, the energy from hydropower grows tight. The hydropower potential of Myanmar’s four main rivers is estimated at 100,000 megawatts (MW), of which only less than 10% has been harnessed.
Poor maintenance, lack of compression gas pipelines, old gas-powered plants which operates at a significantly lower plant capacity and efficiency.
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Having emerged from a military dictatorship in 2011, most Western embargoes were lifted in response to the wide-ranging politic and economic reforms. As a country, Myanmar must upgrade its infrastructure and improve the human capital to achieve sustainable economic growth. Partners like GE saw an opportunity to collaborate with the Myanmar government in providing the expertise and technology needed. An example is the formation of the National Energy Management Committee in 2013 that will oversee the growth and development of the energy sector.
Picture Credit: Getty Images
GE and Myanma Electric Power Enteprise (MEPE) have formed a new commitment in repowering and upgrading the existing gas turbines in Myanmar. This initiative will result in approximately 30MW of additional power for Myanmar. On top of that, GE and MEPE will conduct an assessment of existing power plants to identify upgrade opportunities.
With continuous efforts and partnerships, Myanmar is set to benefit from GE’s technology. The upgraded equipment will result in a large increase in overall efficiency and delivering more power with the same amount of fuel. This investment underscores GE’s commitment to partner with the government of Myanmar to help expand the much needed supply of reliable electric power in the country.