Burma pledges new capacity amid protests

• 10 years ago (2013-11-14)
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The Burmese government is pledging to build more power plants to head off further rises in electricity prices and satisfy protesters, according to state media reports.

Protesters were reacting to a planned price hike for electricity rates starting November 2013, seeing bills rise 40 per cent for average families, but the government has now said the price hike will be postponed until the fiscal year 2014-2015.

Khin Maung Soe, Myanmar’s Minister of Electric Power, has stated that the country faces acute and increasing power shortages arising from an annual 15 per cent growth rate in energy consumption.

He blamed the current shortfall on a failure by the government to build seven new hydroelectric projects, three thermal and two coal-fired plants.

Other media sources estimated that three new 500 MW power stations would be required to meet electricity demands by 2015, a potential outlay of $2.1 billion.

Private companies, local and foreign, would likely be required to invest to help the government afford such projects.

Burma has a total power generation capacity of only 4000 MW, less than 15 per cent of the 30 000 MW capacity in neighbouring Thailand which has a similar sized population.

According to current estimates, only 30 per cent of Burma’s population has access to the national power grid, with less than 7 per cent among those living in rural areas.