Electrical industry of burma/myanmar
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- Bu səhifədəki naviqasiya:
- LETPANPIN VILLAGE PLUGGED INTO NATIONAL GRID
- ELECTRIC POWER SUPPLY IMPROVES AFTER YEARS OF ABNORMAL STATUS
- Additional references
- PLANS FOR HTAMANTHI DAM PROJECT ON CHINDWIN NEAR FINALIZATION
- Topographic map reference
- Stop Damming the Chindwin
NLM, 15/01/06. http://www.ibiblio.org/obl/docs2/NLM2006-01-15.pdf Testing of physic nut oil in running buses, light trucks and generators produced by Mandalay Industrial Zone showed considerable success, drawing the attention of rural folks. The tests showed that using a gallon of the oil, a jeep or a light truck installed with 2C engine could run 23 miles. It is learnt that with 100pc use of diesel, such a vehicle can run 25 miles. A 42-passenger bus can run 10 miles with 100pc use of a gallon of physic nut oil and 12 miles with the use of a gallon of diesel. Farmers can use physic nut oil they produce with the use of manual millers to operate power-tillers, reapers, combine harvesters, water pumps, generators, outboard motors less than 20 hps, small agricultural trucks. On other types of small-scale generation of electricity for rural communities see the following: 'Interest growing in rice husk generation' (MT: 10/07/06) 'Wind power system ideal for villages' (MT: 05/12/05) 'Village electrication technology on display (MT: 14/11/05)
'Hydropower station commissioned in Kaungkha' (NLM: 26/07/05) 'Biogas power plants supply electricity to rural areas' (MT: 16/08/04) 'Private sector promoting interest in renewable energy' (MT: 12/07/04) 'Rural Areas Encouraged to make greater use of renewable energy (MT: 05/01/04) 'Solar power seen as solution for remote villages' (MT: 06/10/03) 'Alternative energy project uses three power sources' (MT: 06/01/03) ‘Introduction of renewable energies in rural areas of Myanmar’ (In preparation) ‘Electricity generation in Myanmar by state and division’ (In preparation) ================================================================================== LETPANPIN VILLAGE PLUGGED INTO NATIONAL GRID Embassy of Japan in Myanmar, 03/10/06. http://www.mm.emb-japan.go.jp/profile/english/press/2006-10-03(1).htm The Government of Japan, under its Grassroots Grant Assistance Scheme, will provide a grant aid of US$35,794 to the Letpanpin Village Electric Power and Water Supply Installation Committee to provide for the installation of power and water supply facilities in the village. Letpanpin Village is situated about 240km south-west of Mandalay, just 4km from Kyaukpadaung town and has a total population of 1,855. Most of the villagers make a living from agriculture or related small-scale industries such as jaggery-making. The villagers currently rely on candles and battery lights for their activities after dark. To improve the situation, motivated villagers under the leadership of the chief abbot of the local monastery succeeded in 2002 in installing a 50-kVA transformer that is connected to the national electric grid along the Yangon-Mandalay highway. However, they can no longer afford to install the power supply lines to each house due to a shortage of funds. In recognition of their salient efforts, an electric power supply system in the village will be funded under the Grassroots Grant Assistance Programme. In addition, an efficient water supply system will also be constructed for the village. It is expected that the project will upgrade the standard of living of the villagers and contribute to the all round development of Letpanpin Village . The grant contract to this effect was signed on 3 October 2006 at the Embassy of Japan in Yangon between Mr. Tetsuro Amano, Minister/Deputy Chief of Misson, Embassy of Japan to the Union of Myanmar, and U San Maung, Chairman of the Letpanpin Village Electric Power and Water Supply Installation Committee. ================================================================================== ELECTRIC POWER SUPPLY IMPROVES AFTER YEARS OF ABNORMAL STATUS Xinhua, 02/09/06. http://english.people.com.cn/200609/02/eng20060902_299091.html Electricity supply in Yangon city has gradually improved to nearly normal since late July with round-the-clock distribution of electricity after experiencing years of abnormal and restricted power supply. The alternate distribution at three different times a day had caused much inconvenience. The resumption of almost normal electricity supply in all townships as well as in the industrial zones of Yangon is mainly due to the functioning at full capacity of two hydropower plants -- Paunglaung and Mone -- official media reported. The Paunglaung hydropower plant in Pyinmana township has a capacity of 280 MW, while the Mone plant in Magway division has a capacity of 75 MW. Electric power authorities have been working to ensure electricity in Yangon 24-hour a day in the wake of years of power shortage. MEPE, the main electricity supplier, said it is supplying 360 MW of electricity to Yangon daily and 860 MW to other parts of the country. MEPE has also attributed the possible increase of power supply in Yangon to the removal of government ministries to the new capital of Nay Pyi Taw since last November. This has resulted in reduced power consumption by ministry offices in Yangon and has made it possible to increas distribution to residential areas as well as industrial zones. MEPE raised the prices charged for electricity prices last May, advising people to use electric power more efficiently and to avoid overuse. The new rates are K 25 (US$ 0. 02) per unit for home-lighting purposes, up from previous rates that varied from K 2.5 to K 25 for 1 to 200 units. Unit charges for business customers doubled. The previous rates had been in force since May 1999. Official stats show that before 1988, there were 24 power plants in Myanmar with a total capacity of 568.45 MW with 14 hydropower accounting for 228.45 MW. Since 1988, Myanmar has built 39 new power plants with a total capacity of 1, 071 MW. Thirty are hydropowered, having a capacity of 517.22 MW. Myanmar is currently building 16 hydropower projects with a total capacity of over 1,778 MW. These projects in Mandalay, Bago, Shan, Kayin and Rakhine divisions and states include Yeywa (790 MW), Kunchaung (60 MW), Pyuchaung (40 MW), Khabaung (30 MW), Yenwe ( 25 MW), Shwegyin (75 MW), Shweli (600 MW), Kengtawng (54 MW) and Thahtay (102 MW). Plans are underway to build 15 more plants that would increase add another 4, 346 MW. These include facilities at Bawgata (160 MW), Bilin (280 MW), Hatkyi (600 MW), Shwesayay (660 MW), Manipura (380 MW), Tanintharyi (600 MW), Shweli No 1 (150 MW), Shweli No 2 (500 MW) and Maykha (800 MW). According to government stats, Myanmar had an installed generating capacity of over 1,775 MW as of October 2005, up from 706.82 MW in 1988. Hydropower account for 35pc, while gas-fired generation stands at 50pc. Other recent stats show that electric power produced totalled 6.064 billion kilowatt-hours in 2005-06, up from 2.2 billion units in 1988-89. Despite the improvement in Yangon's electricity supply, issues such as frequent power failure due to old-aged cable lines and voltage drops remain to be resolved. Additional references See above: ‘Full power supply promised for July’ (MT: 04/06/07) ‘Myanmar learns to live with the lights out’ (Reuters: 09/04/07) See below: ‘Yangon electricity supplies get boost from YESB plan’ (MT, 24/07/06) ================================================================================== PLANS FOR HTAMANTHI DAM PROJECT ON CHINDWIN NEAR FINALIZATION Nwe Nwe Aye and Moe Moe Oo, Myanmar Times, 28/08/06. (Compiler’s note: Issue 331 of the Myanmar Times is not available on-line.)
Htamanthi dam near Tason village [25° 07' N, 95° 03' E], grid square reference: 35\5, 9\0. http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/ams/burma/txu-oclc-6924198-ng46-12.jpg Additional References Data summary: Htamanthi See below: ‘Shwesayay hydropower project under detailed feasibility study’ (NLM: 07/02/04) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Assam Tribune, 18/03/12. Edited and condensed. http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/detailsnew.asp?id=mar1912/oth06 The People’s Forum against the Tamanthi Dam held it initial meeting in New Delhi at a seminar organized by the Naga Youth Organization - Burma on 18/03/12. The main objective of the forum is to campaign against the construction of the Tamanthi Dam in Homalin township in the Naga area of Myanmar and to highlight the negative impact of the dam. The seminar was attended by around 50 participants from various Naga organisations in Delhi including the Naga Scholars’ Association and the Eastern Nagaland Students’ Union among others. It is estimated that the 80m-high dam will eventually displace 82 villages and more than 100,000 people in northwestern Myanmar. . Kuki Women's Human Rights Organization (KWHRO), Stop Damming the Chindwin, December 2011. 8pp. http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs12/Stop_Damming_the%20_Chindwin-red.pdf This report presents an on-site update of preparations for the 1200MW Htamanthi power dam on the Chindwin river in northwest Burma. It was prepared by the Kuki Women's Human Rights Group (KWHRO) in India which has been active in opposing the plans for the dam. It includes current information on the relocation of villages in the dam area, a map showing the area to be flooded by the dam, a list of 52 villages home to over 45,000 villagers who will eventually be displaced, a description of current conditions at the dam site and in Shwe Pye Aye “new town" to which 2400 villagers from Leivomjang and Tazone in preparation for the dam. According to the report Indian surveyors are currently staying near Tazone and have been travelling daily by boat to the west of the river to conduct tests in a hillside tunnel near Leivomjang village. Police provide security for the surveyors, and no one is allowed near their test site. Large petrol tanks have remained at Leivomjang since 2007, and are guarded by police and intelligence personnel. Burma Army troops from LIB 222 at Homalin periodically patrol the area. The area around the dam site has been completely deforested, but Tin Win Tun Company is continuing to log the teak forests on the west river bank, north of Leivomjang, using 20 elephants. Large numbers of logs are floated down the river to Monywa, the main city in NW Burma. Shwe Pye Aye, the relocation site to which the villagers from Leivomjang and Tazone were removed in 2007, as shown on the report map, is about 15 miles southeast of Homalin, the main town in the dam area. It was set up in a forested area high above the river bank of the Chindwin, about half an hour’s walk from the river. The site was cleared by loggers of the JLC company, which continues to log the surrounding forests. People were allocated housing plots in the new area, but were given no support to build houses. They had to use old housing materials brought from their villages. As bamboo and thatch was scarce in the new area, many had to use plastic sheeting for roofing. Water is scarce in the relocation site. The authorities have built water tanks in the site, supplied by pipes from a hill source, but these dry up in the dry season, and women must walk for half an hour down to the closest stream to fetch water in jerry cans for household use and for drinking. The water is dirty, but due to scarcity of firewood, people often do not boil it. This has frequently caused diarrhea. There are few livelihood opportunities in the new site. Plots of farmland were available for the relocated villagers, but due to lack of water (the land is too high to be irrigated from the river) and the infertility of the soil, which is sandy and full of stones, people have been unable to grow sufficient crops, either to feed themselves or to sell. The farmlands are also very far away from their homes. There are some jobs available at a saw mill in the site, mcarrying wood and cutting planks, but the work is poorly paid and dangerous. Some villagers have resorted to making charcoal in remote areas, but there is little wood available. A new hospital built at Shwe Pye Aye, but it is located about one hour’s walk from the main site, along a road that becomes muddy and impassable during the rainy season. It is staffed by two nurses, but has few medical supplies. There is a high school at the site, but not enough teachers. Parents can’t afford to supplement the low salaries of the teachers, as they did in their old villages, so teachers neglect regular classes and earn extra money through tuition. Despite the relocation orders and destruction of their houses, a few residents of Leivomjang have refused to abandon their homes. They have erected temporary shelters and are surviving on crops grown in areas that were not bulldozed. Soldiers have repeatedly ordered them to move out, and even torn down their huts, but they still refuse to move. Although their original mcement church was razed, the villagers have built a small bamboo church where they continue to worship. According to the report the Htamanthi dam will create a huge reservoir, almost 1,400 km sq km in area. It says that an estimated 52 villages, including the town of Khamti, will be inundated, causing over 45,000 to abandon their ancestral homes and farmlands and it claims that these people have not been informed or consulted properly about the dam plans. “The experiences of the two villages already relocated from the dam site, show that the tens of thousands facing eviction in the future will suffer forcible dispossession, loss of livelihood, impoverishment and ill health.” An EIA was commissioned by the Burmese government in 2006, but the assessment team reported that it was incomplete because they were not given enough time. Nevertheless, they documented 332 species of birds, 59 ,species of mammals, 333 species of insects, 57 species of reptiles, 67 species of fish, and 526 species of plants in the dam’s flood area. Of particular concern is the impact on fisheries, as construction of the dam will block migration and spawning of fish, and cause a reduction in endemic fish populations. The clearing of the Tamanthi dam project-site in 2007 has precipitated large-scale logging along the banks of the Chindwin both upstream and downstream of the area. If construction of the dam proceeds, even more logging will ensue, causing further destruction of forest resources and wildlife habitat, and causing increased erosion and desertification. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nishit Dholabhai, Telegraph, 08/12/11. Edited and condensed. http://www.telegraphindia.com/1111209/jsp/northeast/story_14858098.jsp Kuki communities from the Chandel district in Manipur and Sagaing Region in Myanmar have protested against plans to create a reservoir on the Chindwin river in Myanmar. The protest in Delhi was small but the timing has caused consternation among strategists in Delhi. The protest comes close on the heels of the forced withdrawal of the Chinese from building a project in northern Myanmar — a loss of Rs 3 billion besides a loss of face for Beijing. “If Tamanthi is constructed, the flood reservoir will be almost 1,400 square km, the size of Delhi, and will permanently displace over 45,000 people,” the activists said. They claim that over 2,000 villagers from the Kuki villages of Leivomjang and Tazone in western Sagaing have already been forcibly relocated to a new site. A Kuki women's group from Moreh that joined their Myanmar counterparts in the protest said their villages were not affected by the dam but they wanted to show solidarity. From the Joint Statement issued at the end of President Thein Sein’s visit to India, 14/10/11. Excerpt. http://www.networkmyanmar.org/images/stories/PDF10/joint-statement.pdf 30. Recognising the importance of the power sector as a major area of cooperation, the two sides reiterated their commitment to cooperate in the implementation of the Tamanthi and Shwezaye projects on the Chindwin River Basin in Myanmar. They welcomed the successful completion of the task of updating the DPR on the Tamanthi project by NHPC on the basis of essential additional investigations. They noted that the final updated DPR for Shwezaye would be available by March 2012. They directed the concerned officials on both sides to finalise plans for implementation of the project within six months. Utpal Bhaskar, Live Mint, 29/09/11. Edited and condensed. http://www.istockanalyst.com/business/news/5446040 NHPC Ltd will submit a detailed project report in October 2011 for the construction of the 1,200MW Tamanthi power project in Myanmar to the Indian and Myanmar governments. NHPC will also submit a detailed project report for the 642MW Shwezaye hydroelectric project by March 2012, said D.P. Bhargava, director, technical, at NHPC. The cost of the project, which requires the building of a transmission link to India, is estimated at 25,000 crore. A power transmission link with Myanmar would help create an electricity grid of countries of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc). The Saarc grid envisaged meeting electricity demand and boosting economic and political ties in the region. The detailed project report will be the basis for the execution of the two capital-intensive power projects, which involve resettlement of local residents and the ability to withstand unexpected floods. India's foreign ministry will underwrite 40 crore that NHPC will spend on hydrological studies required to build the power plants. "We will be submitting the reports to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs) and Hydropower Ministry in Myanmar. After that, it is for the government of India to decide whether we should construct it or not," said Bhargava. NLM, 27/07/11. Edited and condensed. http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs11/NLM2011-07-27.pdf EPM-1 Zaw Min meets with Chairman and MD A.B.L. Shrivastava and party of NHPC of the Republic of India in Nay Pyi Taw. Their discussions focus on matters related to to the Htamanthi and Shwesaryay hydropower projects, which are being carried out on a co-operative basis. Yadana Htun and Thomas Kean, Myanmar Times, 27/06/11. Excerpt. http://mmtimes.com/2011/news/581/news58107.html Dr Marie Lall, a South Asia analyst based at the University of London, said China had been able to gain the ascendancy in Myanmar because of “a lack of common vision” among different ministries that make up the Indian government. Little progress had been made on major agreements signed in early 2009 and India was “uncomfortable to see so much Chinese influence in Myanmar”, particularly in the Bay of Bengal. “I suspect that India’s foreign minister is visiting in order to see how the agreements can be moved forward. I also believe that it is India’s aim to establish closer links with the new government and to see how much structural change has actually taken place,” she said. One project on which India has failed to make progress is the $3 billion, 1200 megawatt Tamanthi hydropower plant in Sagaing Region, which is being constructed by India’s National Hydroelectric Power Corporation. The likelihood of the dam not being completed on time reportedly prompted the Indian ambassador to Myanmar to suggest the project be aborted rather than go ahead and harm the image of Indian companies but many see it as vital to India’s interests here. In a recent commentary, the New Delhi-based Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses called on the Indian government to “press ahead” with the project “in order to enhance its economic and strategic reach in the East”. “The Tamanthi dam should not be perceived as a project meant for mere generation of electricity,” researcher Shivananda H wrote in the June 15 piece. “It has many strategic implications for India both from economic and security perspectives in enhancing the bilateral relationship with Myanmar.” Dr Lall agreed the Tamanthi project was “vital” and said it was “India’s challenge to establish closer ties with the new Myanmar government”. NLM, 22/06/11. http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs11/NLM2011-06-22.pdf During a visit to Nay Pyi Taw, a delegation led by Indian Minister of External Affairs S.M Krishna and Indian Ambassador to Myanmar V. S. Seshadri met with EPM-1 Zaw Min, Deputy EPM-1 Myint Zaw and departmental officials “for discussion on promotion of mutual cooperation in a friendly manner”. Utpal Bhaskar, Live Myint, 20/06/10. Edited and condensed. http://www.livemint.com/2011/06/18015106/Fresh-attempt-to-revive-two-My.html?atype=tp NHPC Ltd, the public sector power generation firm, hopes to submit a revised detailed project report (DPR) for the Tamanthi hydropower project by December. Priority will be given to the Tamanthi project, following which an updated DPR for Shwezaye will be submitted. A well-prepared DPR would be the basis for the execution of the two capital-intensive projects, which would cost an estimated Rs 25,000 crore, including a the building of a transmission link to India. India’s ministry of external affairs (MEA) will underwrite as much as Rs.40 crore of the expenses to be incurred by NHPC on hydrological studies required to develop the two power plants. A power transmission link with Myanmar would help create an electricity grid of countries of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). The SAARC grid envisages meeting electricity demands and boosting economic and political ties in the region. NHPC had earlier submitted reviews of feasibility reports for the two projects prepared by Switzerland's Colenco Power Engineering Ltd and Japan's Kansai Electric Power Co Inc, respectively. Subsequently, the reports were accepted by the department of hydropower implementation of the Myanmar government. “There were earlier problems in getting clearances from the Myanmar government for the movement of personnel. That issue has been sorted out with the power ministry, according to an NHPC executive. A two-member team from the Geological Survey of India is already conducting micro-earthquake studies over a period of three months at the Tamanthi site, which is expected to be over by 26 June. Another team comprising 14 officials from the ministry of water resources’ Central Soil and Materials Research Station has been in Myanmar since 5 June to conduct rock mechanics testing and the collection of material that is also expected to be completed by 26 June. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Institute for Defence Studies & Analyses, 06/06/11. Excerpt. http://www.idsa.in/idsacomments/TamanthiHydelProject%3AIndiasEasternFoothold_shivananda_060611 (Compiler’s note: This excerpt is from a commentary on the note by Indian ambassador to Burma V. S. Seshadri which can be found immediately below this entry.) The Tamanthi dam should not be perceived as a project meant for mere generation of electricity. It has many strategic implications for India both from economic and security perspectives in enhancing the bilateral relationship with Myanmar. Building dams like the Tamanthi represent the Indian attempt to enhance strategic ties with Myanmar, which is seen as India’s gateway to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Myanmar is the only ASEAN country with which India shares land and immediate maritime boundaries. With India becoming a summit level partner of ASEAN and a member of the East Asia Summit, an affirmative bilateral relationship with Myanmar will be beneficial for India. Myanmar also remains an area of security concern for India. The political instability in Kachin and Sagaing provinces of Myanmar has linkages with the unrest in the India’s north-east. Various insurgent groups of north-east India have set up camps across the border in these provinces. Besides, there is increasing trafficking of drugs along the border. The north-eastern states bordering Myanmar have ethnic similarities with the tribes of Myanmar and are interlinked. They have a strong socio-cultural affinity which is the outcome of a long historical process of intermingling amongst the people of the region.6 Hence, there is a need to reach out to these provinces to develop an amicable relationship in resolving the unrest in India’s northeast. Furthermore, Myanmar is emerging as the closest strategic partner of China. China-Myanmar economic cooperation is deepening and the booming energy cooperation between the two countries is also associated with building of infrastructures meant for military purposes. Through Myanmar’s territory, the Chinese are securing connectivity to the Bay of Bengal in their attempt to reach the Indian Ocean. The first step in this regard was the provision of military support to Myanmar during the last decade. China, in addition, has protected Myanmar when the United Nations imposed economic and diplomatic sanctions and the United States declared it as a rogue state. The Chinese have also steadily become involved in building over 62 projects including hydro, oil, gas and mining in Myanmar. Notwithstanding the many challenges faced by the NHPC, India must press ahead with the construction of the Tamanthi project in order to enhance its economic and strategic reach in the East. And full support must be extended to the NHPC to enable it to sort out the local problems that have hindered its progress on the project. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Economic Times of India, 26/05/11. Adapted and condensed. http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/china-pushes-india-to-the-brink-on-myanmar-project/articleshow/8578559.cms In a letter to India's foreign secretary, Nirupama Rao, the Indian ambassador to Burma, V. S. Seshadri, has suggested a rethink on continuing with the plan to develop the hydropower capacity of the Chindwin river through the 1200-MW Tamanthi project. His reason is that things are not working in India's favour even after the election of a new government in Burma, which is "seeking longer periods for clearances". According to the arrangements already agreed upon, the two countries would not only co-operate in developing the Tamanthi project but also the 600-MW Shwezaye hydel project on the lower Chindwin. NHPC, India's state-run hydel utility, is working together with Burma's Department of Hydropower Planning to finalize the arrangements. India's interest in the projects lies in the potential for supplying power to kickstart economic development in its north-eastern region. But the lack of initiative on planning from NHPC is making any progress more difficult by the day. According to the ambassador, NHPC has an uneasy relationship with Burma's Department of Hydropower Planning, is slow in replying to letters, goofs up on procedures in applying for clearances and has no high-level contacts with local officials. The net result is that India's image is taking a beating. Delays in the project's progress are reinforcing local perception of Indian companies being incapable of completing projects in a time-bound fashion. Though the project is sure to go a Chinese firm if India opts out, Seshadri hints an exit may be the best way to cut India's losses. The best way forward is to ask how important is the project for India's strategic interest or to economic development of the northeast. "If the answer is that we will not be seriously affected, then we should, without further loss of time, exit the project in as smooth a manner as possible rather than expending further diplomatic capital on seeking clearances, etc... The delay is affecting our image and is seen as confirming local (mis)perceptions about Indian companies," Seshadri said. But if the government feels the project is important for India's strategic interests, then NHPC will have to give up its "business as usual approach" and get into "mission mode", Seshadri said. "They will need to work to change perceptions here that it can run time-bound projects in the Myanmar environment. There is, however, a third option: completing additional investigations quickly and then considering whether to continue with it or not. But even for this, NHPC will have to pull up its socks, Seshadri said. Central Electrical Authority [India], 31/12/10. Adapted and condensed. http://www.cea.nic.in/hydro/myan.pdf NHPC established a site office at Tamanthi in Feb-2010 and investigations relating to geology, seismicity, construction material survey, etc, were taken up. Field investigations for Shwezaye project were to be taken up in Sep-2010 after the end of the monsoon period. Pending preparation of a detailed project report (DPR) an interim report highlighting the updated project parameters and expected cost of the projects was to be prepared so that an MoA for the Tamanthi and Shwezaye projects could be signed by Dec-2010. A high level delegation visited Myanmar in May-2010 and held discussions with Myanmar authorities in this regard. Subsequently, members of the task force visited the project sites of the Tamanthi and Shwezaye projects in Myanmar in Jun-2010. The target dates for submission of an updated DPR were set for Jan-2011 for the Tamanthi project and Jul-2011 for the the Shwezaye project. Utpal Bhaskar & Elizabeth Roche, LiveMint, 08/09/10 Edited and condensed. http://www.livemint.com/2010/09/07213124/NHPC-to-submit-report-on-Myanm.html?atype=tp State-run NHPC Ltd plans to submit proposals to revive the Tamanthi and Shezaye hydropower projects in Myanmar to India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). The investment required for setting up the projects and building a transmission link is estimated at Rs.25,000 crore [US$5.4 billion]. “We are updating the detailed project reports and will submit the report to MEA by October. Our team is working there,” said S.K. Garg, chairman and managing director of NHPC. The feasibility reports on the Tamanthi and Shwezaye projects were prepared by Switzerland’s Colenco Power Engineering Ltd and Japan’s Kansai Electric Power Co Inc. “This is a report that NHPC is preparing for the Myanmar government. We haven’t seen it yet,” said a government official who did not want to be identified. The projects are integral to India for its engagement with Myanmar and the MEA will underwrite as much as Rs.40 crore [US$ 8.6 million] in expenses to be incurred by NHPC on hydrological studies needed to develop the two power plants. Agreement signed during visit of General Than Shwe to India, 29/07/10. http://www.burmanet.org/news/2010/07/29/mea-government-of-india-joint-statement-during-the-visit-of-chairman-state-peace-and-development-council-of-myanmar/ Both India and Myanmar identified the power sector as an area of growing cooperation and agreed "to cooperate in the implementation of the Tamanthi and Shwezaye projects on the Chindwin River Basin in Myanmar. They welcomed the involvement of M/s NHPC in carrying out the much required additional investigations after the signing of the MoU on Cooperation in Hydro-power Development projects in the Chindwin River Basin in September 2008. Subject to the findings of these additional investigations, the two countries will endeavour to conclude the Memorandum of Agreement within a year". Jyoti Malhotra, Business Standard, 19/07/10. http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/myanmar-dictator-to-get-warm-welcome-in-india/401819/ Burma withdrew an Indian offer to build the Tamanthi hydro-electric project on the Chhindwin river because of inordinate delays by NHPC, offering it to the Swiss and the South Koreans. But when they refused the bait, the Myanmarese offered it back to NHPC in 2009, on the condition that a detailed project report be submitted in 12 months. Utpal Bhaskar, LiveMint, 10/05/10 Edited and condensed. http://www.livemint.com/2010/05/10210808/Indian-team-to-visit-Myanmar-f.html An Indian team will be leaving for Myanmar on Tuesday to discuss building power plants and transmitting some of the electricity to India. The visit is designed to revive the stalled 1,200-MW Tamanthi hydroelectric power plant and 642MW Shwezaye project on the Chindwin river. A memorandum of association for these projects is expected to be signed by December. The delegation will comprise officials from state-owned firms NHPC Ltd and Power Grid Corp. of India Ltd (PGCIL), said a government official who did not want to be identified. S.K. Garg, chairman and managing director, NHPC, confirmed the impending visit and said: “Survey and investigation work are yet to be completed. No modalities have been worked out so far. A transsmission link for the evacuation of power is expected to be set up. We had submitted a report on the transmission of power around one-and-a-half years back,” a PGCIL executive said on condition of anonymity. Eric Yep, Wall Street Journal (Mumbai), 21/04/10. Edited and condensed. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704448304575197233284679618.html India's state-run NHPC Ltd. is considering building two hydroelectric power projects in Myanmar at an investment of 250 billion rupees ($5.6 billion) as it seeks to expand, its chairman said Wednesday. "We are inching towards Myanmar. We have already sent our team to Myanmar for further survey and investigation for two projects," S.K. Garg told reporters on the sidelines of an industry conference. Mr. Garg said the NHPC is looking to build a 510-MW plant and another project with a capacity of 520 MW in Myanmar. NHPC is yet to decide on whether it will tie up with any other company for the projects, he said. NLM, 07/03/10. http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs08/NLM2010-03-07.pdf In a report to the SPIC, Hydropower Minister Zaw Min included the Htamanthi project as one of 31 that are to be implemented with the investment of foreign companies. Name-plate capacity of 1200 MW. Utpal Bhaskar, MINT, 02/09/09. Edited and condensed. http://www.moneycontrol.com/india/news/business/mea-may-back-nhpcs-myanmar-project/413824 India's ministry of external affairs is mulling underwriting as much as Rs 70 crore [US$ 14.5 million] of NHPC's expenses in developing the Tamanti and [Shwesayay] projects on Myanmar's Chindwin river. Although detailed reports on the two projects have been readied and studied by India’s largest hydro-electric power utility, some additional studies are required. Because NHPC is a commercial organization, it is not ready to bear the cost of these studies. The captal cost of the two projects with a total generating capacity of around 1,800MW has been estimated at around Rs 5-7 crore [US$ 1-1.5 million] per MW, depending upon the location and geology, as well. The hydro power projects are seen as part of India’s economic diplomacy initiative to engage Myanmar where Chinese influence has been growing. The electricity that generated would be brought back to India. Jyoti Malhotra, Business Standard, 29/06/09. http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/myanmar-pipelines-confirm-china/s-place-in-baybengal/362405/ Indian officials pointed out that Yangon, having withdrawn the offer to develop a hydro-electric project on the Tamanthi river [sic] because of inordinate delays in New Delhi, had a few weeks ago offered it back to the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation, on the condition that the detailed project report be submitted to Yangon in 12 months. William Boot, IRROL 12/05/09. http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=15615 India’s state hydroelectric firm NHPC says it is ready to invest about US$5 billion in two hydroelectric projects in western Burma. That’s how much it will cost to develop hydro dams at Tamanthi and Shwezaye in the Chindwin River basin, said a report in India’s Hindu News newspaper, quoting senior company executives. The two projects would deliver an electricity generating capacity of 1,800 megawatts. Most if not all of the power would be transmitted into energy starved northeast India. “There is great potential in Myanmar and the government there is very keen that we [NHPC] start work,” the Hindu News quotes NHPC Managing Director S.K. Garg. The human rights NGO Burma Rivers Network has estimated that at least 30,000 people would be forced to move to make way for the two dams. Iftikhar Gilani, Daily Times (Pakistan), 24/04/09. http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009\04\24\story_24-4-2009_pg7_40 Addressing a press conference on Thursday, NHPC Chairman and Managing Director SK Garg said that India’s state-run power producer . . . had signed an MoU with Myanmar to study the master plan for hydro power development of the Chindwin River basin that includes a review of detailed project reports (DPRs) for the 1,200-MW Tamanthi hydroelectric project (HEP) and the 642-MW Shwezaye HEP. “ Press Trust of India, 13/03/09. http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/nhpc-to-commission-two-power-projects-by-dec-09/56586/on NHPC Chairman and Managing Director S K Garg told reporters in New Delhi that the company [still] plans to set up two projects in Myanmar to harness the hydro potential of the Tamanti and Shwezaye projects. "We hope to work on big projects (1,200 MW and 640 MW) in Myanmar and are discussing the probability with them (Myanmar)," Garg added. Utpal Bhaskar, LiveMint, 13/02/09. http://www.livemint.com/2009/02/12214748/Bhel-NHPC-in-joint-bid-to-bri.html State-owned Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (Bhel) and National Hydroelectric Power Corp. Ltd (NHPC) may together build the 2,400MW [sic]-Tamanti hydropower project in Myanmar, setting the delayed Rs14,000 crore [approx US$3 billion] project back on track. “The talks with Myanmar for the Tamanti project have restarted,” a Bhel executive said, adding that top officials of both firms visited Myanmar last week. They were part of a team of businessmen, lawmakers and bureaucrats accompanying India’s vice-president Hamid Ansari on a four-day tour of Myanmar. “We are looking at reviving and developing the project through a joint venture with NHPC,” the Bhel executive said, requesting anonymity. Bhel makes equipment for power plants and NHPC builds and operates hydroelectric projects. The project was delayed after NHPC could not start work on it three years after submitting a feasibility report, saying that it had too much to do back home. Shubhranshu Patnaik, an executive director at consultancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers, said international projects such as this will materialize only through state negotiations. “There are also larger issues about project financing as in countries such as Myanmar...as these may not get commercial bank funding and...have to depend on government funding,” he said. P. S. Suryanarayana, The Hindu, 18/10/08 http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/18/stories/2008101888881800.htm [During his visit to Burma], Union Minister of State for Commerce, Industry and Power, Jairam Ramesh held discussions with Burma’s Electric Power Minister Zhaw Min. These centred on the timelines of two India-aided projects and the overall competitiveness of Indian expertise. Myanmar was assured that there would be no slippage in respect of the ongoing 1,200-MW Thamanthi project in the Chindwin basin and the 111-MW Rakhine unit. Col. Zhaw Min pointed out that the cost-per-MW in China-aided projects was almost one-half of that in regard to the Indian venture. Khin Maung Soe Win, DVB, 10/10/08. http://english.dvb.no/news.php?id=1851 The Burmese forestry department granted permission for Chinese companies to cut down all the trees in areas that would be submerged by the Htamanthi dam project. An estimated 100 square miles of forest between Htamanthi and Khamtee has been felled since the end of last year and wildlife is fleeing to India, according to ethnic Naga El Maung Sar, quoting a Naga hunter. "All the forests are gone and the animals have nowhere to go so they have moved on,” he said.“ Indigenous animals such as elephants, wild boars and tigers have crossed the border in the west and settled in Nagaland and Manipur." The destruction of the forests is not only forcing the animals to flee but could lead to the extinction of rare herbs and medicinal plants. Naga and Kuki people who make a living hunting animals and collecting medicinal plants are also facing difficulties, and three ancient Naga, Kuki and Red Shan settlements have also been forcibly relocated to make way for the project. Aung Kyi and Aung Shin, Myanmar Times, 29/09/08. http://mmtimes.com/no438/n009.htm Myanmar’s Hydroelectric Power Department signed an agreement with the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) of India to build two hydroelectric projects in the Chindwin River basin on September 17. The department is implementing [a number of] joint-venture hydropower projects with neighbouring countries to increase the country’s power generation and to receive foreign exchange revenue over the concession period. Under all the joint-venture agreements, Myanmar is entitled to get 10pc to 15pc of annual electricity generation from the power stations free of charge. NLM, 29/09/08. http://mission.itu.ch/MISSIONS/Myanmar/08nlm/n080929.htm A Baucer [Bauer] trench cutter (BC-32) needed for construction tasks at the Thahtay hydropower project is being sent from the Htamanthi hydropower project near Tazone village, 30-miles north of Homalin. [See notes for the Thahtay hydropower dam (NLM, 13/01/09) for more details on the use of trench cutters in dam construction. The Hindu, India, 19/09/08. http://www.hindu.com/2008/09/19/stories/2008091957301800.htm “This is a major strategic victory for us. The Chindwin River holds huge hydro power potential and we intend to further strengthen this relationship by going in for other such projects in Myanmar,” said Jairam Ramesh, India's Minister of State for Power and Commerce, following the signing of an MoU between the Burmese and Indian governments for taking up detailed project reports (DPRs) on two major hydropower projects. Under the agreement, Burma's Department of Hydropower Implementation (HPID) with the help of India's NHPC Ltd will develop the 1,200-MW Tamathi [Htamanthi] and the 600-MW Shwzaye [Shwesayay] hydro power projects on the Chindwin river in Burma. The Minister said both the parties would form a joint venture company to execute the projects. NLM, 19/09/08. http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs6/NLM2008-09-19.pdf An MoU on the Htamanthi and Shwesayay hydropower projects was signed in Nay Pyi Taw by Chairman S K Gorg of the National Hydroelectric Power Corp Ltd (NHPC) of India and the director-general of Myanmar's Hydroelectric Power Dept. Under the MoU, the Hydroelectric Power Department and NHPC will implement the two projects. The Htamanthi project that will have a generating capacity of 1200 MW and the Shwesayay poject will have generators capable of generating 600 MW. The signing ceremony was preceded by discussions on the two projects by officials of the Myanmar Ministry of Electric Power No 1 and directors of NHPC and the Ministry of Power of the Republic of India. Indian Telegraph, 12/09/08. http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080913/jsp/business/story_9827654.jsp An NHPC, (formerly National Hydro Power Corporation Ltd) team will visit Myanmar later this week to sign a MoU with the Myanmarese authorities to develop two hydel projects on the bank of Chin Win river and also to study the potential for hydro power generation on the river embankments, besides carrying out geological studies in the area. “We are in advanced stages of dialogue with the government of Myanmar for developing [these] hydroelectric projects,”said S.K. Garg, chairman and managing director of NHPC Ltd. Financial Express (India), 30/07/08. http://www.indoburmanews.net/archives-1/2008/july-2008/india-eyes-2-hydel-power-projects-with-myanmar New Delhi is once again attempting to woo Rangoon, with plans to develop two hydel power projects -- the 1,200-MW Tamanthi and the 600-MW Shwezaye power projects -- in the Chindwin river basin. The projects, expected to cost around Rs 15,000 crore [US$ 3.5 billion], will be developed under the joint venture route by India’s NHPC Ltd and the Burmese government-owned Department of Hydropower Implementation (HPID). Power from the projects would be exported to India via a proposed transmission link through Manipur. Officials said that a MoU on hydropower development on the Chindwin river basin has already been readied and is expected to be inked shortly between NHPC and HPID. NHPC Chairman and MD S.K. Garg confirmed that the talks in this regard were progressing with the Myanmar government. However, on the issue of project execution, Garg said, “The details are yet to be worked out. Modalities in this regard will be decided mutually between the two sides”. The Hindu, 28/06/08. http://www.thehindu.com/2008/06/28/stories/2008062854731600.htm Minister of State for Power, Jairam Ramesh, who returned after a four-day visit to Burma, said that the Burmese leadership had shown keen interest to join hands with the Indian companies to take up construction of the 1,200-MW Tamanthi power project and the 660-MW Shwe Saysay power projects on the Chindwin river in order to tap the huge hydro power potential in Burma. NLM, 25/06/08. http://www.myanmargeneva.org/08nlm/n080625.htm An Indian delegation led by Minister of State for Commerce and Power Shri Jairam Remesh called on Minister for National Planning and Economic Development Soe Tha at the ministry in Nay Pyi Taw where they frankly discussed matters on bilateral cooperation in economic and trade sectors. Mr Shri Jairam Remesh also called on EPM No 1 Zaw Min at the latter’s office and discussed matters related to hydel projects in Myanmar. Utpal Bhaskar, LiveMint, 23.06/08 http://www.livemint.com/2008/06/23234932/India-uses-power-diplomacy-to.html The roadblocks that have delayed a key hydropower project in Myanmar by more than three years may finally be cleared during the visit of Minister of State for Power Jairam Ramesh to Myanmar. The Export-Import Bank of India, or Exim Bank, is to extend two lines of credit amounting to $84 million (Rs361.2 crore) to Myanmar during the four-day trip by Ramesh. “This visit is part of our regional diplomacy initiatives to use electricity in order to engage our neighbours,” Ramesh said before his departure for Myanmar. “The lines of credit are for developing the power transmission and distribution networks in Myanmar. “I will also use this visit as an opportunity to help NHPC get the Tamanti project, the detailed project report for which has been prepared by NHPC. I am aware that there are some difficulties with the project, which will be sorted out,” said Ramesh. Myanmar had redesigned the Tamanti project, doubling its capacity to 2,400MW. NHPC Ltd, previously known as National Hydroelectric Power Corp. Ltd, an Indian government enterprise, had prepared a feasibility report for the original 1,200-MW project. Ramesh is to meet Myanmar’s power minister Col Zaw Min in Nay Pyi Taw, the country’s capital. His visit is part of the Indian government’s exercise to improve its diplomatic and economic ties with a neighbour that has rich deposits of natural gas, a fuel India needs. “Inter-country deals are very complex. It is more government-to-government intervention that helps. Nothing else works,” Shubhranshu Patnaik, an executive director at audit firm PricewaterhouseCoopers, had earlier said about the project. India has been trying to utilize its infrastructure development efforts in Myanmar to sign long-term contracts for supply of natural gas. The successful completion of the project could help India develop more hydropower projects in Myanmar and tap its energy resources. Utpal Bhaskar, LiveMint, 27/03/08. http://www.livemint.com/2008/03/27014021/NHPC8217s-Myanmar-failure-m.html Plans by India's National Hydroelectric Power Corp (NHPC) to develop the 1,200-MW Tamanti hydropower project in Myanmar have come to nought. “The plan has fizzled out. Though there were a lot of discussions after submitting the PFR (project feasibility report), nothing progressed. We were not able to present our case and expedite the matter. The primary reason for this is our national commitments which we are trying to complete,” said a NHPC executive who did not wish to be identified. The project would have helped control floods and provide water for irrigation. In return, India would have received the bulk of the power generated Once completed, the project would have helped control floods and provide water for irrigation. In return, India would have received the bulk of the power generated. The Tamanti project was scheduled to be operational by 2014. Seven of 12 projects NHPC is working on have been delayed due to unavailability of manpower and price disputes with private contractors working on the projects. NLM: 08/04/08. http://www.myanmargeneva.org/08nlm/n080408.htm In New Delhi, EPM No 1 Zaw Min holds talks with MD D.K Mittal and members of Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services Ltd and members about co-operation in hydropower projects in the Chindwin basin. Mizzima News, 05/03/07. http://www.mizzima.com/MizzimaNews/News/2007/Mar/07-Mar-2007.html About 380 households from Leivomjang and Tazong villages, located between Tamanthi and Homalin towns on the Chindwin river, have been forced to leave their homes and relocate to new places, said an ethnic Kuki woman, whose family members were compelled to relocate from Leivomjang village. She said the Burmese Army had started destroying houses in the two villages, forcing the villagers to relocate to a new village named 'Laung Min' on the eastern bank of Chindwin. However, as the new village site is barren and is situated in a remote area away from the communication network, villagers have refused to stay in the new place, she said. "Most refused to go to the new site and some went into the jungle to hide. Some are temporarily staying in farm huts. No one dares to remain in their village," she added. The Burmese junta with the help of India's National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC), is building a hydro project on the Chindwin that will generate 1,200 MW of electricity. According to anti-Tamanthi Dam campaigners 80% of the power is to be transmitted to India. They said the authorities in Burma had forcibly seized about 17,000 acres of agricultural land from villagers for the proposed dam site. Lu Lun, coordinator of the ATDCC in New Delhi, said that over 61 Kuki villages lying in the area targeted for the dam will be forced to relocate. Moreover, the construction which has begun without an iota of environmental assessment, will adversely affect the existing biodiversity, ecological balance and climatic conditions in the region. NLM, 28/01/07. http://mission.itu.ch/MISSIONS/Myanmar/07nlm/n070128.htm General Soe Win and party visit the site of the Htamanthi dam and hydroelectric power multi-purpose project. EPM No 1 Zaw Min reports on [plans for] the power intake, steel pipelines, power station, canal, spillway and switching yard. A&I Minister Htay Oo reports on preliminary engineering work and the arrival of heavy machinery and Deputy EPM No 1 Myo Myint explains matters related to geological conditions and the change of design for the main embankment. Deputy A&I Minister Ohn Myint clarifies construction of separation wall, collection of quality stones and tasks being carried out in co-operation with Colenco Co. The PM and party view construction of the concrete separation wall, preparations for construction of the main embankment and other engineering works. They also inspect the site of Test Cell No 2, a completed fuel tank and concrete mixer. Afterwards, the PM presents fruit baskets to the Project Director of Colenco Power Engineering Ltd and engineers. NLM, 19/12/06. http://mission.itu.ch/MISSIONS/Myanmar/06nlm/n061219.htm General Than Shwe and party visit the Htamanthi multipurpose hydel power site at Tazone village about 30 miles north of Homalin. EPM No 1 Zaw Min reports that the project will be undertaken by HPID. The 1,200-MW power station will generate 6,685 million kWh of electricity annually. Besides the Htamanthi project, the 520-MW Mawlaik hydel power project and the 600-MW Shwesarye hydel power project [also on the Chindwin] will be implemented. A&I Minister Htay Oo explains the dam–building work to be carried out by the ID. The two ministries concerned will work co-operatively in building the diaphragm, the spillway and the irrigation network. Personnel have already been trained to drive the trench-cutter that will be used in building the diaphragm. Forestry Minister Thein Aung reports on forests in the project areas and Energy Minister Lun Thi on arrangements to provide fuel. The earth dam on the Chindwin will be 5,250 feet long and 263 feet high. Water stored by the dam will be used to irrigate over one million acres of farmland. Six 200-MW turbines are to be installed. NLM, 01/02/06. http://burmalibrary.org/docs2/NLM2006-02-01.pdf Two sets of trench cutters and related machinery for the Htamanthi multi-purpose dam project of the A&IMin have arrived from Germany at No 7 Sule Wharf in Yangon. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tribune News Service, 20/07/05. www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20050721/cth1.htm Over six years after a joint Indo-Myanmar hydro-power generation project was initiated, it has finally made headway, with the governments of both countries accepting the pre-feasibility report for Tamanthi hydro-electric project. It will have a generating capacity of 1,200 MW and will be developed as a mutual interest venture between India and Myanmar. “We had started work on the report in April, 2004, after signing a formal agreement with the Ministry of External Affairs,” said Mr M.M. Madan, Executive Director of the National Hydro Power Corporation (NHPC). “Acceptance of the report implies that both countries are keen to go ahead with the project.” This is the third major foreign project to be undertaken by the NHPC after setting up power stations in Nepal and Bhutan. The NHPC was tasked by the External Affairs Ministry to prepare the report on the Tamanthi project, and it has conducted field surveys and investigations at the project site in collaboration with the Myanmar authorities. It would be the major Indian agency to execute the project. The project would involve construction of a dam on the Chindwin, the main tributary of Myanmar’s major river, the Irrawaddy. The 840-km-long Chindwin, known as Ningthi in Manipur, has its source in the Pulkai Kumon ranges along the Indo-Myanmar border. In February 1999, a fact-finding mission led by the Member (Hydro), Central Electricity Authority (CEA), visited Myanmar, followed by a joint site inspection by technical experts from both countries. The Indian team comprised experts from the CEA, the NHPC, the Central Water Commission and the Geological Survey of India. It identified two potential sites at Tazon and Hwena, and gauge and discharge stations were established to study the general geology of the sites. During his visit to India in Oct 2004, General Than Shwe signed an MoU on the project with the Indian gov’t. In Feb 2005, a five-member team of experts from the CEA, the NHPC and the Power Grid Corp of India held discussions with Myanmar authorities about exporting 80% of the power generated by the project to India. Laying of transmission lines from the project site to a hub in north-eastern India, funding, contracts and investments were other issues reportedly discussed during the visit. It was also among energy and infrastructure-related issues on the agenda when External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh, visited Myanmar in March 2005. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Myanmar Times, 12/06/00. [Issue 15 of the Myanmar Times is not available on-line.] U Soe Myint, D-G of the Myanmar Energy Planning Dept, at a BIMSTEC energy conference: “Myanmar is to export its hydro power to north-eastern parts of India once we can substantiate our proposed [Tamanthi] project, which is expected to cost US$1 billion. In five years’ time we could be ready.” Rajendra K Pachauri, Indian expert from the New Delhi based Teri group: “This is very exciting prospect. There is enormous potential for Myanmar and India on energy generation and this project is impressive.” Anti-Htamanthi Dam Campaign Committee, [undated]. [No longer available on-line.] Genesis of the [Htamanthi] project goes back to 1962 when preliminary investigation work was carried out with the assistance of the UNDP agency. (Compiler’s Note: Pictures of the project area and villages, maps and a petition are available on this site. Consult also these Kuki websites for updates on the campaign against the Tamanthi dam. http://www.petitiononline.com/67kukis/petition.html http://www.ksdf.org/read.asp?title=TAMANTHI%20DAM%20IN%20BURMA&CatId=Article&id=2) See also the following editions of the New Light of Myanmar: 28/04/04, 09/06/05, 30/01/06, 01/02/06, 24/09/06, 23/01/07 ================================================================================== Yüklə 12,31 Mb. Dostları ilə paylaş:
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