Japan loan aimed for Thilawa port
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A port construction project in Thilawa Special Economic Zone (SEZ) will start next year using the US$205 million low-interest, long-term loan from Japan's Official Development Assistance (ODA), according to Myanma Port Authority (MPA).
ODA’s loan will be used in construction of the port’s first phase, which will be located on land plots 25 and 26 of Thilawa. The second phase of port will be constructed on the land plots 23 and 24.
The project will start in May 2014, and will be completed by December 2016, an official estimated.
Observers remarked that Japan had taken quick steps to develop Thilawa port while Myanmar and Thai leaders are stuck with negotiations for Dawei Deep Sea Port in lower Myanmar.
The harbour to be built at the first phase will be a multi-purpose one, and will cost US$205 million, officials said. The project will also include preparing the 17-hectare land and 14-hectare depot, constructing drainage systems and other infrastructures, and installing container-handling devices.
New natural-gas plant opened
On Sunday, the Energy Ministry opened a 120-megawatt natural gas power plant that was built with help from Thailand.
The plant will be operated as part of a pact between the Energy Ministry and the Toyo Thai Power Myanmar Co Ltd, Energy Minister Khin Maung Soe said.
According to the agreement, the ministry will be able to use 7 per cent of the 120MW produced for free in exchange for natural gas. It has also leased the land for the plant at US$1 per square foot per year and Toyo Thai Power will be allowed to operate it for 30 years. The entire project will cost $170 million (Bt4.9 billion).
“The project will be implemented with two natural-gas turbines in phase 1 and waste-to-energy boiler in phase 2. The first 41MW turbine from phase 1 is already producing electricity, while the second 41MW turbine will start producing electricity in May,” the minister said.
The production cost stands at around 113 kyats (Bt3.72) per unit, and will be sold to the general public at 113 kyat plus 7 per cent, according to the agreement.
The ministry will distribute most of the electricity to Yangon, while the rest will go on the national grid for other states and regions.
Carrier flies to Japan for first time
Myanmar Airways International (MAI) launched its first commercial flight to Japan on Saturday and is planning routes to South Korean in the near future.
In its first flight, the airline flew 103 passengers into Mandalay, before they boarded an Air KBZ flight to Bagan. The tourists will depart for Japan from Yangon International Airport, according to reports.
The airline now provides flights to Japan’s four major cities – Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka and Okinawa.
“We’ll have another five flights between April and May. We also plan to run regular flights to Japan and South Korea in the near future," airline official Aye Mra Tha said. Earlier this month, Myanmar Airways and Korea Air signed a code-sharing partnership in Seoul.
