Electrical industry of burma/myanmar

Additional references
See above: ‘Chaungzon supplied with electricity at a big loss’ (NLM: 29/03/11)

See below: 'Premium rates for electricity in Mon villages' (IMNA: 03/08/07)

‘Electricity metering program taking root’ (IMNA, 11/05/07)

‘Acute shortage of electricity disappoints Mon residents’ (IMNA: 21/02/07)

KIC, 31/03/11. Edited and condensed. http://www.bnionline.net/news/kic/10442-electricity-authorities-accuse-karen-armed-group-of-bombing-beelin-electric-tower.html

The Township Electricity Engineer’s Office in Moulmein has accused the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) of setting off a bomb which knocked out the main electricity tower in Bilin in the northern part of Mon State very early in the morning of March 25^th. As a result of the explosion electrical service from the national power power grid in Bago to Bilin, Thaton, Paung and Mawlamyine was cut until the evening of March 30^th. However, Saw Phaw Doh, commander of the KNLA’s Battalion 101 denied responsibility for the blast. “It is not an area where we would bomb. And also, our people are not there,” he told a reporter of the IMNA news agency. However, local observers said the KNLA’s Brigade No. 1 is active in the Bilin township area.

Kun Chan, Mizzima, 09/03/11. Edited and condensed.

http://www.burmanet.org/news/2011/03/09/mizzima-news-university-students-protest-against-power-cuts-in-mon-state-%E2%80%93-kun-chan/

University students in Moulmein demonstrated at electrical services offices on 08/03/11 in protest against cuts in electricity during their graduation exams period. More than 50 university students gathered at the Electric Power Corporation office in Ngantay Ward and the township electrical engineering office in Mandalay Ward, sources said. Some students threw stones at the office, breaking glass. ‘The power cuts began two days before the first exam. The graduating students had to study without electricity for two days, and they’re unhappy about that. That’s why we lodged the protests’, a student leader told Mizzima. Graduation exams started on March 7 across Burma and will end on March 17. Power cuts during four consecutive days before graduation exams led to similar protests until the authorities intervened to restore electricity during the exam period.

Mi Lyi Htaw, IMNA, 17/03/10. Edited and condensed. http://monnews.org/?p=607

In Mudon, just when students need to study for the annual '10-standard' university entrance examinations, there is no regular electric power service. "Students whose homes have generators can get light, but those who have no generator have to study by candle light,” said the mother of a Mudon high school student currently taking the exams. She informed IMNA that five months ago, in mid-November, Mudon enjoyed regular, 24-hour power supply. However, since the start of 2010, the hours of service have been slowly dwindling, and currently electrical access in Mudon is as poor as it has been for the past 20 years. Power comes on late in the evening or in the early hours of the morning, and then only for brief intervals. Mawlamyine gets electricity for only five or six hours a day. The irregular hours are especially difficult for high school and college students to deal with. At other times, it doesn’t matter so much, but they should give regular, full electricity during student exam times. 'Everyone is angry about it, but people feel it's no use protesting,” explained a resident of Myinetharyar quarter in Mawlamyine.

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DEALERS REPORT STRONG INCREASE IN THE SALE OF SOLAR POWER SETS

Nem Davies, Mizzima News, 06/10/09. (edited and condensed)

Shops selling solar power plates report that there has strong increase in sales in recent years. “Solar power is essential in non-electric fed areas. Sale of solar power sets has been brisk for the last two years,” a marketing executive, who has been working in the solar power sector and its accessories for over 10 years told Mizzima.
In Pakokku, where electricity supply is available in rotation even consumers of electricity have to use solar power. The owner of ‘Zaw’ solar power showroom in Pakkoku, a solar power user himself, said, “I use solar power as an alternative power source when electricity supply is irregular during the day. I use a 25-watt solar power source for charging mobile phones and for lighting four to five florescent lamps”.
A two-foot by four-foot solar power plate can cost up to K 1 million depending on the country of origin. Most solar power plates are imported from China, Japan or India. Plates measuring a foot by one and half feet made in the PRC sell for as low as K 30,000 and can last up to five years, showroom sales personnel said. Many consumers choose the Chinese made plates and batteries because the price is cheap.
For home use, solar power plates and accessories such as a battery, step-up transformers and wiring can cost up to Kyat 1.8 million, sales personnel of the ‘Myanmar Solar Power’ showroom in Hlaing township in Rangoon said. Fully charged 360-watt solar plates can be used for about a day to run a TV set, a video player and two-or-three foot-long florescent lamps simultaneously. “Users need to invest only once and there are no recurring costs. Japanese solar power units have a 10-year guarantee. It’s more economical than using generators in areas with no electric supply,” said a salesman at a solar power showroom in Hlaing township.
Those who want to operate a computer, a refrigerator, a TV and a VCD player have to buy a 100-watt solar power plate. There are at least 10 solar power showrooms in Rangoon.
A official from a development centre affiliated to the Kachin Baptist Church said they are still using a solar power unit installed five years ago at the Cart Centre’ even though electricity is available at the facility 18 miles from Myitkyina. “The KBC installed solar power in three places in Myitkyina. At Shalom and Cart Centre, they use it during power blackouts. We use solar power to run a computer and three 2-foot long florescent lamps,” he said.
Solar power is eco friendly with no noise pollution as generators. It is easier to maintain with no risks of short circuits and fire, users said. “There’s no problem if you connect in the correct polarity. If not, the florescent lamps will burn. There are no other dangers. For full recharge, the user needs to remove dust deposited on the plate,” a solar power user in Pakokku said. Solar power users generally install power plates on rooftops for better concentration of the sun’s rays but some install them on the ground for easier maintenance.
Nyein Chan Win, Director of ‘Myanmar Eco Solution’, said the use of solar power in Burma will continue to grow since power generation and power supply is not yet adequate in the country. “In the long run, there will be more use of solar power in non-electric fed areas as a sustainable power source,” he said. In Burma, solar rays are available for an average of eight hours a day so solar power can be widely used, Nyein Chan Win said.
Additional references
See below: ‘Indian solar lanterns to light up Myanmar huts’ (PTI: 07/02/09)

‘Pharma factory nominated for energy award’ (MT: 16/06/08)

‘Myanmar to build first storm-resistant model village’ (Bernama: 12/06/08)

‘Solar power seen as solution for remote villages’ (MT: 06/10/03)

AzoClean, 10/02/11. Adapted. http://www.azocleantech.com/Details.asp?newsID=14216

OK Myanmar Co Ltd will prepare a plan to provide solar-power sets to meet the power requirements of microwave communication towers, river pump stations and street lamps in Myanmar. The project will focus initially on providing electricity to remotely located microwave communication towers. The company will use solar equipment supplied by Sanyo Photovoltaic Equipment, a Japanese company, and the services of Japanese engineers for installation purposes. It is anticipated that the solar sets will deliver between 10 and 20 MW annually with a 20-years operating guarantee. The company has yet to fix up the cost of these services. OK Myanmar has been operating in Myanmar since 1992. It serves as an outlet for the electronic products of Daewoo, Sanyo and other brands.

Pyi Myanmar, 14/10/10. As reported in the Myanmar Times, 18/10/10, (Vol 25: No. 545). Condensed.

http://mmtimes.com/2010/timeout/545/med.html

Hotels and resorts at Ngwe Saung and Chaungtha beaches plan to start using solar power in a bid to reduce energy costs. The popular resort hotels at the two beaches are not connected to the grid and currently rely on diesel-powered generators. “We have already held a meeting at which it was agreed we would install solar panels at some hotels and resorts at Ngwe Saung and Chaungtha. They won’t be used to power all parts of the hotel, just some important sections,” said U Zaw Waite, the director of OK Myanmar, which is the sole distributor for Sanyo brand solar panels in Myanmar. “Some homes and schools in rural areas where there is not regular electricity are using solar panels but they are rarely used in factories,” he said.

NLM, 24/06/10. http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs09/NLM2010-06-24.pdf

Solar complete set, solar street light and new solar home system package produced by Myanma Machine Tool & Electrical Industries were showcased at an exhibition of goods made by companies under the aegis of the state-owned Industry-2 held in Nay Pyi Taw. [Photos of the solar related products are included in the print edtion of NLM.]

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SECOND SEMINAR ON HYDROPOWER DEVELOPMENT HELD

Aung Shin, Myanmar Times, 14/09/09. http://mmtimes.com/no488/b005.htm

Hydropower projects throughout the country are 80 percent complete, said Colonel Zaw Min, Minister for Electric Power No 1 at the opening ceremony of the Second Symposium on Hydropower Development held on August 28 and 29 at the Hydropower Development Training Centre in Paunglaung, Nay Pyi Taw. “Almost all hydropower projects are 80pc complete. A total of 2255 megawatts (MW) of electricity has been generated by hydropower projects nationwide as of 2009,” he said.
The government aims to generate 23,324 MW of electricity through hydropower by 2030. There are 18 hydropower projects running at present and 11 more due to start over the next few years. All should be complete within 15 years, the minister said. Surveys suggest that as much as 46,000 MW could be generated by hydropower. [Photos of exhibits at the symposium are available with this article and the one below.]
Additional references
NLM: 29/08/09. http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs07/NLM2009-08-29.pdf Edited and condensed.

Speaking at the opening of the second seminar on hydropower development in Myanmar, EPM-1 Zaw Min said the seminar was held with the aim of enabling engineers to share experiences with one another. At the first seminar, resource persons had submitted 23 research papers, but this year engineers from the ministry and companies engaged in the hydropower sector had submitted 51 papers, 35 of which would be read at the seminar. The ministry was constantly engaged in improving the construction methods used in various types of dams and tunnels, the building of RCC embankments, the technologies involved in the construction of power plants, the efficient use of heavy machinery, conducting of feasibility studies and drawing designs for the hydropower projects and generating of electricity. The government had begun implementing a 30-year electricity strategy project in 2001- 2002, he said. Presently the ministry was implementing 28 hydropower projects with a total generating capacity of 28,808 MW, and plans were under way to implement 11 additional projects with a capacity of 5233 MW. As a result, the country would be supplied with 23,324 MW by 2030-2031.

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ASIA GENERAL ELECTRIC TO PRODUCE HIGH VOLTAGE SWITCHGEAR

Nilar Win, Myanmar Times, 14/09/09. http://mmtimes.com/no488/n011.htm

A local company has announced plans to produce high-voltage 33KV switchgear in Yangon and hopes to win market share from more expensive imports.
U Khin Maung Myat, managing director of Asia General Electric, said there were currently no companies making high-voltage switchgear locally. He said the future expansion of Myanmar’s power generation capability meant there was a lot of potential in the high voltage switchgear market. “There are many government electricity projects – some are finished but many are still under construction,” he said. “We will also need a lot of electrical equipment, like distribution transformers and high-voltage switchgear, for other projects in both the public and private sectors – on construction sites and in industrial zones.”
U Khin Maung Myat said while the company was initially targeting the local market, it hoped to eventually tap into the export market as well. “In 2015, the Asian free trade zone project will come into effect in Myanmar. We want to be ready to export under this program.”
He said Asia General Electric is now seeking a project partner that could provide the technology required to make the switchgear. The company already produces medium voltage 11KV switchgear with technology licensed from Japanese company Mitsubishi Electronic. It also produces distribution transformers under a partnership with Thailand’s QTC Transformer Company.
He said buying trends in Myanmar were gradually changing and customers were now putting more emphasis on buying quality products. “Locally, customers’ interest has changed from cheap but low-quality products to high-quality products, as they realise that there are long-term benefits from doing so. “Knowledge about the value of product quality is starting to spread among local consumers so we think there is a bright future for companies that produce such products.”
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RANGOON FACTORIES ORDERED TO INSTALL CAPACITOR BANKS

Ni Moe Myint, Mizzima, 03/09/09. Edited.

http://www.mizzima.com/news/inside-burma/2716-factories-directed-to-install-capacitor-bank.html
All industrial zones in Rangoon have been instructed by the city’s Electric Power Supply Board (YESB) to direct factories to install ‘capacitor banks’, a sort of transformer, at their own expense. The factories are to install these capacitor banks if the installation of transformers in the industrial zones does not solve the power crisis.
“We have received a lot of complaints about low voltage, which resulted in machines breaking down. Moreover unstable power supply can cause frequent short circuits and fires. The capacitor banks can step up and regulate the voltage. We have found similar capacitor banks in industrial zones in foreign countries during our study tours,” an official of the City Electric Supply Committee said.
A garment factory owner said that factories flouting instructions from the committee would have their power supply cut off. The deadline for the installation of the capacitor banks was not set by the City Electric Supply Board but by the Industrial Zone Management Committee. It must report the deadline set to the Electricity Supply Board.
The cost of a domestically produced 120 KVA capacitor bank with Chinese parts is at least K 3 million while imported machinery would cost from K 5 to 20 million, according to market sources. Though the cost would not be prohibitive for large industries, it would be a big burden for small and medium factories and workshops, especially during the current economic recession and reduced operations, the owner of a battery factory in South Okkalapa township said.
An owner of a value-added wood factory in South Dagon industrial zone said he had installed a capacitor bank in his factory, but that it was not the solution to the power crisis as voltage to the industrial zone was very low. “We lodged a complaint regarding the problem of irregular electricity supply and low voltage at the industrial zone management committee meetings, attended by the regional commander and Bureau of Special Operations Commander Myint Swe. But there was no improvement. We received this instruction instead,” he said.
There are four large industrial zones divided into about 20 industrial districts in Rangoon. The zones were first set up in 1990 to segregate the factory areas from residential districts. The industrial zones get power supply between 9 and 16 hours a day in turn.
Additional references
Ni Moe Myint, Mizzima, 16/09/09. Edited and condensed.

http://www.bnionline.net/news/mizzima/7055-industrial-zones-get-only-5-hours-worth-of-electricity.html

The supply of electricity to IZs in Rangoon has been reduced to five hours per day since the first week of September. Under the new system, IZs are getting power from the city’s Electric Supply Board (YESB) either from 7am to 12 noon or from 12 noon to 5pm. Rationing was introduced because of severe voltage fluctuations under the previous 9-hour-per-day system.

"Under the old system, we were unable to supply full power and some factories could only use the power we supplied for lighting purposes. They had to use their own back-up generators for production and manufacturing. So, we changed to the five-hour system to be able to supply full voltage instead of more hours with low voltage,” an engineer from IZ Electric Power Supply Committee said. “We consulted the members of the Industrial Zone Management Committee about how to solve the problem – offering either 9 hours a day on alternate days or 9 hours daily. If they had to use their generators all day, there would be a risk of fire plus health hazards for the workers. So, we decided in consultation with them to supply only 5 hours a day,” he added.
The cost of diesel for factory owners to run their own generators is higher than before by about K 30,000 per barrel, so some have had to reduce their working hours by half. Electricity is provided by the YESB at a cost of only K 50 per KWh , but they cannot supply adequate power. Commercial and industrial customers who run their own generators, have costs as high as K 300 per kWh.
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POWER SUPPLY IMPROVES IN RANGOON

May Kyaw, Mizzima, 28/07/09

http://www.mizzima.com/news/inside-burma/2523-electricity-supply-improves-in-rangoon.html
There has been a substantial improvement in electricity supply in Rangoon after severe shortage for months on end. The city townships area are divided into four groups -- A, B, C & H. The H group gets round the clock electricity supply daily. The A, B and C groups are now getting electricity continuously from 11pm to 5am and power alternatively and equally for the rest of the day.
Hospitals, CNG filling stations, police battalions, army units, cemeteries and Township Administration Offices in H Group get round the clock electricity daily. But industrial zones are getting power for only nine hours during the daytime but do not get power at night. Power generation is not yet adequate to provide electricity at night.
Though the availability of power has improved to a large extent in Rangoon, people living in a city used to severe power shortages for a long time are still worried. “Yes, electricity has become regular but it has been so for just a few days. We are not sure how long it will last,” a local resident of Rangoon told Mizzima. Another local resident said that they are getting power regularly in the afternoon and alternatively at night and getting continuous electricity from 11 p.m. till morning. But in Syriam, in the outskirts of Rangoon, they do not get power even alternatively. “In Syriam we are not getting electricity regularly. It is available off and on. Currently there is no power here,” a resident of Syriam said.
The availability of power has improved in Rangoon because electrity is now available from a hydropower station on the Shweli river near the border with China, a staffperson with the the city’s Electricity Supply Board (YESB) said. “The power situation has improved because of supply from Ruili Station. [But] three natural gas turbines that supply electricity to the city are still under repair because of leaking gas pipes,” he said.
YESB Electric Power Board Secretary Lt. Col. Maung Maung Latt recently told domestic news journals that they would supply Rangoon round the clock electricity within the month.
Additional references
See above: ‘Rangoon reels under severe power cuts’ (Mizzima: 02/04/10)

See below: ‘Gas turbine failure restricts electricity supply in Yangon’ (Xiinhua: 01/02/09)

‘Generator sales spike upward in Yangon’ (MT: 15/12/08)

‘Gas in short supply to meet demand for electricity’ (MT: 17/09/07)

‘Pipeline to solve electricity shortages’ (MT: 16/09/02)
NLM: 07/03/10. http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs08/NLM2010-03-07.pdf

The Special Projects Implementation Committee held a co-ordination meeting (1/2010) at the Operations Meeting Room of the office of the Commander-in-Chief (Army) in Nay Pyi Daw of 05/03/10. . . . EPM-2 Khin Maung Myint submitted reports on the renovation of nine national grids, 10 main power station projects and planned major repair of power plants. . . . The power plants to undergo major repairs are No 3 turbine of the Ywama power plant, the No 1 turbine of the Ahlon power plant, the Hlawga recycle steam turbine, the Ahlon recycle steam turbine, the Thakayta recycle steam turbine, the Hlawga power plant, the Thakayta power plant, the No 3 turbine at the Kyunchaung power plant, the Shwedaung power plant, the Myanaung power plant, the steam turbine at the Mawlamyine power plant and the Thaton power plant.

Kyaw Kha, Mizzima, 23/12/09. Edited and condensed

http://www.mizzima.com/business/3199-financial-crisis-hurts-garment-industry-in-burma.html

Burma’s garment industry in industrial zones is on a downhill slide due to the global financial crisis, the Garment Industry Entrepreneurs Association said. Association Chairman Myint Soe said the industry has suffered a decline of 30pc since mid-November this year. " About 20pc of our industries have either suspended their business due to economic reasons or totally shut down,” Myint Soe told Mizzima. There are 171 garment factories under the association of which 150 units are still running and over 20 factories have stopped business. Due to the closure of these factories, over 60,000 workers have been affected and will be laid off if the factories are totally shut down, Myint Soe said. Despite low wages in Burma, factory owners are facing shortage of electricity, high fuel and transportation costs, difficulty in accessing internet telephone and email, foreign currency exchange fluctuation and unavailability of business loans from the government. “We suspended business in this unprofitable situation. There’s no electricity and the cost of alternate energy source such as diesel is too high,” said an official from the Rangoon based 7 Star Co Ltd.

DPA, 20/12/09.

The YCEPSB launched a rotation system on 03/12/09 to manage the electricity needs, said the board's general secretary Maung Maung Latt. Under the system, the city has been divided into five residential and industrial zones. Each residential zone is to receive electricity part of the day in a three-day rotating system, Latt said. The cuts will ensure that households get at least six hours of electricity per day. Industrial zones have been split into two groups, with one zone receiving electricity in the morning and the other in the afternoon, the Myanmar Times reported.

Xinhua, 13/12/09. Edited. http://www.rebound88.net/09/dec/14.html

Power supply in Yangon has become abnormal again with city dwellers getting intermittent electricity supply. The YCDC has been adopted a system of distributing electricity to most areas alternately for the past week with 18-hour supply planned for downtown and suburban areas, while important government offices, embassies, hospitals, airport, railway stations, banks and schools will receive round the clock service. 24-hour electricity supply had been in effect for the past four months during the monsoon when reservoirs built up water levels to drive hydropower plants. Power supplies were intermittent during a five-month period up to June of 2009.

Saw Yan Naiung, IRROL, 11/09/09. Excerpted http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=16769

Throughout the 1990s, the military authorities were able to provide a 24-hour supply of electricity to Rangoon, except during the dry season—March to June—when the Lawpita hydroelectric dam, located 210 miles (350 kilometers) north of the city, was short of rainwater. However, for the last eight years, electricity has been rationed and reduced due to a rising demand. The Rangoon-based Weekly Eleven journal reported earlier this year that Rangoon’s 5 million residents need about 450 megawatts of power every day. However, total national output of electricity is 845 megawatts, less than the national capacity of 1,200 megawatts, and far short of the country's electricity needs.

Aung Thet Wine, IRROL, 20/07/09. (edited and condensed)

http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=16365

Power supply to Rangoon’s townships will be rationed to six hours a day because the pipeline carrying gas from the southern Andaman sea to Rangoon power generators has been damaged near Belin in Mon State by flood water near Belin in Mon State. “Belin river was flooded by heavy rain, causing pipeline damage. Repairs could take time,” said a MEPE official who asked to remain anonymous. The cut in electricity supply to the former capital is unusual during the monsoon seasson when electricity is supplied on a 24-hour basis due to extra supply available from the hydropower stations at Lawpita.

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