Electrical industry of burma/myanmar

LOW WATER LEVELS HINDER POWER DISTRIBUTION

Ye Lwin, Myanmar Times, 02/04/07. [Issue 361 of the MT is not available on-line.]

Although Myanmar increased its potential electricity output to 1572 MW last month, only about 70pc of this total is currently being distributed because low water levels are forcing hydropower projects to operate below capacity, EPM No 2 Khin Maung Myint said last month. The completion of the Yenwe hydropower project in Bago division in February boosted total electricity output from 1546 MW to 1572 MW, he told a meeting of industrialists at the office of the Hlaingthaya IZ Management Cte. However, he said that although it was possible to supply 24-hour electricity from July to December due to abundant rainfall, low water levels in reservoirs at hydropower projects from January to June made it difficult to deliver regular power supplies throughout the country.
The minister also said electricity demand has exceeded supplies because of residential and industrial development since 1988, and because of increased use of air conditioners and refrigerators in recent years. In 2006, about 410 MW of power was distributed to Yangon division, while the rest of the country shared about 600 MW, he said.
The Ministry of Electricity was split into two separate entities last May, with the EPM No 1 responsible for hydropower projects and the EPM No 2 overseeing the transmission and distribution of electricity, in addition to managing the generation of electricity by natural gas supplied by a pipeline from the offshore Kanbauk field.
“EPM No 2 has been collecting about K10 billion to K13 billion a month in electricity charges so far this year, a dramatic decline from the K16 billion it was bringing in last year during the football World Cup,” the Minister said. The government provides a subsidy of K25 per kWh for electricity consumption by the public. The industrial sector, which is not subsidised, is charged K50 a unit. The government has said it plans to supply 24-hour, year-round electricity throughout the country in 2008 and boost electricity output to 5,000 MW sometime in the future.
Additional references
See above: ‘Full reservoirs to boost hydropower’ (MT: 19/11/07)

See also other articles under the category ‘Overview’. OV

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INDUSTRIAL ZONES TO RUN AT NIGHT

Ye Lwin, Myanmar Times, 26/03/07. [Issue 360 of the MT is not available on-line.]

All private factories in Yangon industrial zones from April 1 will be allowed to operate at night in order to raise the industrial sector’s output, according to an order from a senior government official. Gen Myint Swe of the MoD informed the Yangon IZ’s Management Cte of the decision to extend operating hours from next month during a meeting at the Hlaingthaya IZ on March 11. Currently, private factories are only permitted to operate from 8am to 6pm.
“The economic development of the country depends on progress made by Yangon’s economy. Only when the economy of Yangon is successful will the economy of the country be strong. Next to Naypyitaw, Yangon will remain as country’s main commercial city,” Lt Gen Myint Swe said when announcing the decision. Employers would need to reach their own agreements with staff for operating a nightshift, he added. The decision affects more than 1,500 factories and 120,000 workers.
U Myat Thin Aung, president of the Hlaingthaya IZ Management Cte, told the Myanmar Times that extended factory hours would be beneficial for “all parties – labourers, employers and the country”. “By operating a nightshift, there will be more working hours and the labourers will earn more wages than usual,” U Myat Thin Aung said.
Lt Gen Myint Swe’s pledge that electricity would be supplied at night would also benefit companies because their production costs would fall as their consumption of diesel used to run generators would be reduced. EPM No 2 Khin Maung Myint, said at the March 11 meeting that the industrial zones would have priority in Yangon’s electricity distribution in order to strengthen the sector and raise the division’s gross domestic product.
U Myat Thin Aung said channelling more electricity to industry would generate more revenue for the YESB since factories pay twice as much per unit as households do. Yangon’s GDP in the 2007-08 financial year, starting April 1, is targeted to reach K2.38 trillion, Lt-Gen Myint Swe said. Yangon’s GDP was K790 billion in 2005-06, according to the Yangon DPDC. The regular working week for factory employees is currently considered to be 48 hrs/wk, with a maximum additional 28 hours of overtime.
Additional references
Ye Lwin, Myanmar Times, 24/09/07. http://www.mmtimes.com/no385/b_brief.htm

In September, the YESB increased power supplies to all industrial zones in the city, said U Myat Thin Aung, president of the Hlaingthayar IZ Management Cte. All IZs in Yangon are receiving 24-electricity every third day and 18 hours of power on other days. The increased supplies “will be very convenient for manufacturers as it significantly saves on production costs”, he said, alluding to factories’ frequent use of more expensive diesel-powered generators during blackouts. There are some 1,500 factories in Yangon industrial zones which pay K50 per unit of electricity, compared with K25 for residential users. “If the factory uses diesel to generate electricity, per unit costs are much higher than what the YESB charges,” U Myat Thin Aung said. The YESB is expected to cut back electricity supplies again when lake levels at the country’s hydropower stations fall after monsoon.

Ye Lwin, Myanmar Times, 09/01/06. [Issue 299 of the MT is not available on-line.]

The industrial sector has been urged by the Government to advance its position alongside other economic sectors, such as the agricultural and service sector, and play a more dominant role in Myanmar’s economic growth. Speaking at the 12th annual general meeting of the Myanmar Industrial Association (MIA) in December, Lieutenant General Myint Swe, chairman of Yangon Division Peace and Development Council, said diversifying Myanmar’s economic base was a key platform to growth. “At present, the most important thing for the industrial zone is to get an adequate electricity and fuel supply,” Lieutenant General Myint Swe said. More than 450 MW of electricity are needed for the 10 industrial zones as well as for residents in the Yangon vicinity but only 420 MW is currently being provided, of which 380 MW can be applied at a time. “Projects are underway to provide 5000 MW (nationwide), not only for consumption by the industrial sector but also for domestic, personal consumption. So far, more than 840 MW can be provided across the country,” Lieutenant General Myint Swe said.

See also other articles under the category ‘Industrial Use’. IU
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NATURAL GAS WELLS SUPPLYING POWER IN KAYAN TOWNSHIP

NLM, 26/03/07. http://burmalibrary.org/docs2/NLM2007-03-26.pdf

During an inspection tour of Thanlyin, Kayan and Thongwa townships in Yangon South District, Lt-Gen Myint Swe of the MoD together with Maj-Gen Hla Htay Win and Col Thaung Win of Yangon Division Renewable Energy Research and Development Technology Committee attended a ceremony to open a natural gas-run power supply project in Kayan township.
In his remarks, Chairman Hla Htay Win said that implementation of natural gas-fired power supply in Daepauk model village said his committee had made field trips to Daepauk model village on two occasions with the intention of testing natural gas wells there. The committee had submitted reports showing that enough natural gas could be generated to supply power for the area. As a result Yangon DPDC had spent over K 20 million to implement the power supply task. Now, people from over a thousand houses in four villages were enjoying the fruits of this endeavour. He urged all to participate in rural power supply task.
Lt-Gen Myint Swe and party inspected the generation of natural gas-fired power to the people, lamp posts and gas tanks. A total of 526 two-foot fluorescent tubes in houses, 12 TVs and 147 two-foot fluorescent tubes in [street] lamp posts in Daepauk Model Village are being supplied 36 kwh through 12 generators fed by 29 gas wells. A total of 84 flourescent tubes and two TVs in Dawbonsu Village are being supplied 7.5 kwh through one generator fed by three gas wells. A total of 285 fluorescent tubes and five TVs in Gwaybinchaung Village are being supplied 15 kwh through five generators fed by 10 gas wells. A total of 22 fluorescent tubes and one TV set in Shwebosu Village are being supplied 3 kwh through one generator fed by two gas wells.
Arrangements are also being made to supply power to cottage industries in the villages.
Compiler’s note: As far as I can discover, this is the only published reference to the small-scale generation of electric power from natural-gas fired generators in rural Myanmar.
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ADVANCED INSULATOR FACTORY PLANNED FOR CHAUK
The entries included under this heading in previous editions of the compendium can be found under ‘Advanced insulator factory opened in Chauk township’ (NLM: 04/09/10)
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YANGON INDUSTRIALISTS URGED TO INCREASE PRODUCTION

NLM, 12/03/07 http://mission.itu.ch/MISSIONS/Myanmar/07nlm/n070312.htm

Lt-Gen Myint Swe of the MoD met with chairmen of IZ management ctes and industrialists from the IZs of Yangon North at Kanaung Hall in Hlinethaya township this afternoon. The chairman of Yangon North District IZ Management Cte, U Thein Naing, and other management cte chairs reported on investment and other matters in their zones.
EPM No 2 Khin Maung Myint presented reports on the generating of power in the entire nation and the supply of power to Yangon City and IZs. Chairman Hla Htay Win of the Yangon DPDC explained that 30pc of the net production of Yangon division comes through the industrial sector. Due to increased power this year, industrial zones have been able to boost their production. He said industrialists should use websites to announce matters related to the products of their factories with a view to attracting local and foreign consumers.
D-G Aung Win of the Dept of Human Settlement and Housing Development submitted reports on arrangements for setting up Thilawa IZ and maintenance of roads in the zone.
In his instructions, Gen Myint Swe said that as Yangon is a commercial centre, the economic development of Yangon division reflects the growth of the national economy. Industrialists should assume their role in making the economy boom and, for its part, the government would respond to their requirements. He stressed the need to manufacture import-substitute products and to penetrate foreign markets.
Additional references
See above: ‘Industrial zones to run at night’ (MT: 26/03/07)
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HOMEGROWN SOFTWARE INDUSTRY STRUGGLES ON

Ye Kaung Myint Maung, Myanmar Times Supplement, 12/03/07 http://www.mmtimes.com/feature/electronic/e019.htm

Producers of computer software in Myanmar have battled hard to forge an industry for themselves in the last decade as the country has slowly been pulled into the digital revolution. A narrow market, widespread piracy, negative attitudes to locally made products and the lack of a reliable network infrastructure have forced developers to work hard for every inch of market share they have gained.
Software developers classify their products into either ready-made or tailor-made programs. Readymade software is developed to satisfy a wide ranging market – dealing with issues faced by many people in different places. But tailormade software is made to fill a specific gap. This usually requires the user – after the software has been developed – to undergo training just to be able to use it.
Ko Saing Nay Htut, marketing manager of iNTEGRA Systems Company, said the most popular markets for software were the accounting, sales and human resources sectors. iNTEGRA Systems has produced a widely known program called “iLedger”. It combines accounting software, human resources management software and the “iStock” sales control system in one handy package. Myanmar’s software industry enjoyed a small time of prosperity in the years leading up to the banking crisis in 2002. In that ‘boom’ time the international delivery service company DHL and several up-and-coming banks ordered a number of tailormade programs. But the banking crisis put an end to that prosperity and some of the foreign banks closed shop and left Myanmar.
The condition of the country’s marketplace today has led software development companies to focus on small and medium enterprises, according to Ko Saing Nay Htut. “We developed some readymade software but we market and sell in tailormade form,” said Ko Saing Nay Htut. “For example, iLedger covers all common processes in accounting but we can also modify it and add additional features when users give us specific requirements,” he said.
Local software programmers face a constant struggle against illegal pirate software CDs. These discs are imported and duplicated in Myanmar. They are available on the market for about K1,000 (less than US$1) and only require installation in the computer. These illegal products have heavily influenced user attitudes toward software. But locally made products have continued to survive in competition against illegal imports by being cheap and by offering special features and handy maintenance services. “Even if the foreign-made software programs were perfect, there would be still a place for local developers who know exactly what the users need and can tailor programs to suit. We often include Myanmar language font systems that foreign programs don’t bother with.”
iNTEGRA Systems has also begun planning for future product needs. “We are now upgrading our products to be compatible with Window’s Vista platform. But until now, there have been few Vista users,” Ko Saing Nay Htut said.
Recently, some local companies have begun importing foreign software and penetrating local markets by providing additional services – just like local software developers. Daw Lwin Lwin Myint, manager of IT Myanmar, a local company that markets the Malaysian-made software, Mr Accounting, said the company has been providing services similar to local software developers. “Mr Accounting focuses on business procedures in countries like Myanmar. It includes user-friendly interfacing systems, multicurrency systems and an automatic depreciation function. It can be used on either client-server types or stand-alone types. We provide free service for six months and allow two staff members from the buyer’s company to join the computer accounting courses we have,” Daw Lwin Lwin Myint said.
U Ye Myat Thu, from Mandalay Computer Industry Ass’n, said people’s attitudes were vital for the development of IT businesses. “Most Myanmar people have no idea about the value of computer software, many think they will only pay for the hardware and get the software for free. Entrepreneurs want to spend their money on advertisements and promotion instead of investing in software for the long term,” he said. “Information technology is just a tool to assist, not a solution. That’s what IT technicians always say. Some of them think it makes no difference using better software. But others overestimate software and think it will solve everything. I think the truth is somewhere in the middle of those two viewpoints,” U Ye Myat Thu said
Addtional references
See also other articles in the ‘Electronics’ supplement of the Myanmar Times edition of 12/03/07 http://mmtimes.com/feature/electronic/feamain.htm.
See above: ‘New industry ministry to oversee developments in electronics field’ (NLM: 15/09/11)

‘Yadanabon cyber city slated for soft opening in September’ (MT: 24/09/07)

See below: 'Collaborate on contracts, ICT sector urged' (MT: 12/12/05)

‘Electronics industry spreading roots in industrial sector’ (NLM: 06/06/04) 'Software growth badly in need of human touch' (MT: 16/10/00)

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ASIAN ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES VIE FOR MARKET SHARE IN MYANMAR

Ye Lwin, Myanmar Times Supplement, 12/03/07. http://www.mmtimes.com/feature/electronic/e015.htm

Sales of electrical appliances have risen steadily in recent years and become one of Myanmar’s main imports, according to figures released by the Commerce Ministry. Electrical appliances imported through border trade from China and Thailand have gained a foothold in the market and are competing against well-known brands from Japan and South Korea, said retailers and distributors. Consumers can choose from among about 20 brands of imported appliances, of which up to 90pc are from Asian countries. About a third are from China and the balance from other countries, mainly South Korea and Japan. Televisions and MP3 or MP4 portable music players which are made in China and imported through the border checkpoint at Muse have a strong share of the market.
But refrigerators and DVD and VCD players are mainly imported from Thailand through the Myawaddy border checkpoint, said U Htay Aung, manager of the Advance Electronic Retail Shop in downtown Yangon. “The prices of electronic goods from China and Thailand are relatively low compared with other brands and are within the reach of ordinary people,” he said, adding that most consumers opted for Chinese products. U Htay Aung said televisions and DVD players were the top sellers in the electronics market. “Sales of DVD players are rising at an unprecedented rate compared to other electronic goods,” he said. However, sales of televisions had declined and were averaging about 150 units a month, about half that in 2006, U Htay Aung said.
Meanwhile, Samsung has launched a campaign to promote sales in Myanmar of its high-tech televisions, said U Myat Thin Aung, the chairman of AA Electronics Co Ltd, the South Korean company’s sole distributor in Myanmar. The campaign follows a survey by Samsung which found that sales of televisions with liquid crystal display or plasma screens were increasing throughout the world. However, there was consumer resistance in Myanmar because the televisions were about 10 times more expensive than models using tube-type screens, U Myat Thin Aung said.
Televisions were once considered a luxury in Myanmar but have come to be regarded as an essential for providing entertainment and information, said U Than Win Aung, the managing director of the Star TV factory in the Hlaingthaya industrial zone. The growing demand for electrical appliances co-incided with the rise in living standards, said U Than Win Aung. Consumers with disposable incomes opted to buy televisions for entertainment, information and education, he said. It is estimated that nearly all households in Yangon and about 60 per cent of those in rural areas have a television.
Additional references
See below: ‘Local TV manufacturer takes on international competitors’ (BT: March 2004)
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WIND ENERGY BOOSTS RURAL DEVELOPMENT

Kyaw Thu, Myanmar Times, 05/03/07.

(Compiler’s note: Issue 357 of the Myanmar Times is not available on-line.)
In an important development to promote the use of alternative energy sources, the Dept of Development Affairs has begun producing wind turbines to supply power to villages not connected to the national grid. The decision to make the turbines followed the successful development of prototypes made at the department’s research centre in Yangon under a project begun in July 2005. The supervisor of the research team, U Thein Shwe, said turbines capable of generating 300 and 750 watts had gone on the market. The 300-watt turbine costs K450,000 and the 750-watt model retails for about K1 million. A 300-watt turbine is capable of supplying enough power to illuminate ten 36-watt fluorescent lights for five hours.
U Thein Shwe said one advantage of using the turbines in remote areas was that it would make it easier for students to study at night. He said the department needed to conduct more research on prevailing wind speeds in various parts of the country to determine which areas are best suited to benefiting from the alternative energy source.
U Soe Ko Ko of the Development Affairs Department said it planned to eventually sell turbines capable of generating between 700 watts and 1000 watts. As well as wind turbines, the dept is also conducting research into the use of mini-hydropower projects throughout the country.
The secretary of the Renewable Energy Ass’n, U Aung Myint, said 300-watt and 1000-watt wind generators were ideal for rural communities because they were easy to maintain. He also said the association was planning four mini-hydropower projects in Shan State.
Myanmar is among many countries throughout the world which are exploring the use of alternative energy sources because of the rising price of fossil fuels and their impact on global warming. At the ASEAN summit in the Philippines in January, Myanmar and its nine partners in the regional grouping, along with Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea signed the Cebu declaration on energy security which provides for increased efforts to promote the use of alternate energy.
A former executive director of the ADB, U Hla Maung, said at the launch of his book The World and the Energy Crisis on February 27 that more subsidies were needed to support research into the use of renewable energy sources in Myanmar. U Hla Maung, who is also a former director general of the Ministry of Planning and Finance and a former ambassador, referred to the example set by Brazil, which provided tax exemptions for companies making alternative energy technology. He also urged the private sector to become more involved in the renewable energy sector.
Compiler’s note: A good photo showing the testing of wind turbines under production at a research centre in Yangon accompanies the original article.
Website information:

http://www.adb.org/Documents/Events/Mekong/Proceedings/SEF2-Annex6.4-Myanmar-Presentation.pdf

Information presented by the Energy Planning Dept of the Myanmar Ministry of Energy at the Second subregional energy forum in Ho Chi Minh city on 22/11/08 indicates that the installed electrification capacity of renewable energy sources at the end of 2008 was as follows: Solar power: 0.1157 MW, Wind power: 0.5194 MW, Mini hydro power: 8.3530 MW, Bio-mass power: 18.1942 MW; Biogas power 1.5993 MW.

Additional references
See below: ‘Wind power system ideal for villages, says engineer’ (MT: 05/12/05)

See also the section on wind energy in ‘Electricity potential of energy sources available in Myanmar’.

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TURBINE FACTORY PLANNED FOR THAGARA INDUSTRIAL REGION

NLM, 25/02/07. http://burmalibrary.org/docs2/NLM2007-02-25.pdf

General Than Shwe and party arrived at Thagara Industrial Region of Ministry of Industry No 2 in Yedashe township. At the briefing hall, Minister Saw Lwin reported that three projects were being implemented in the region. The first is a plant that will produce various kinds of multipurpose diesel engines, the second is a plant to produce bulldozers and excavators at the rate of 100 bulldozers and of 200 excavators per year. The third is a plant that will produce turbines and hydel power engines. This plant will produce Francis turbines of 100 kW, 500 kW, 2,000 kW and 5,000 kW at the rate of 50 per year. Minister Saw Lwin presented the aims, signing of the contracts, investment involved, acquisition of technology and progress of the project.
Afterwards, Gen Than Shwe gave guidance, saying that the various plants established in the Thagara region will contribute to industrial development and to the national economy. Innovative efforts are needed to produce better engines, turbines and machinery than those currently under production. It is not good to be complacent about the current situation. The Ministry of Industry No 2 is responsible to develop the industrial sector of the state. It should be playing a greater role in industrial development.
[Video footage of this visit with brief glimpses of the layout of the industrial estate and some of buildings is available at http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7694807271238560047. Commentary is in English.]