24 million without access to electricity
The country needs to produce additional capacity of 4,000-5,000 megawatt of power as more than 24 million people have no access to electricity, said Khin Maung Soe, Union minister for electric power at a meeting with local people in Mongshu in Shan state
The Upper Kengtung hydro power plant (51 MW) is being implemented in the southern Shan state and former Kengtung hydro power plant (54 MW) is not sufficient enough to supply electricity for the whole of the Shan state. People will have access to power only when the power capacity is increased. The next government will have to work on increasing power capacity.
The power can be generated through hydro power and coal-fired power plants. It needs to seek public’s approval on power generation through these two sources.
Power capacity through hydro power plants is 2,919 MW (74 per cent), followed by the gas-fired plants, 931 MW (23 per cent) and the coal-fired plants, 120 MW (3 per cent), according to the figures of the Ministry of Electric Power in 2014.
Nowadays, people and some businesses are facing power blackouts in Yangon.
Plans are under way to produce the highest power capacity of up to 400 MW to meet Yangon’s power demand. This summer, power will be distributed to the fullest, according to an official from the Ministry of Electric Power.