Electrical industry of burma/myanmar

Additional references
NLM, 17/02/12. Excerpt. Edited. http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs13/NLM2012-02-17.pdf

At the session of the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw on the Union Parliament on 16/02/12, A&I Minister Myint Hlaing replied to a proposal on river water pumping projects, dams and reservoir projects submitted by Representative Thurein Zaw of Kawkareik Constituency. The Minister said that responsible persons of the previous government had built the dams and river water pumping projects with the aim of creating job opportunities for the local people without reference to cost effectiveness. The river water pumping station projects of the previous government were aimed at distributing irrigation water for regional food sufficiency and creating more job opportunities for local people. They had been built with a huge fund and targeted for supplying irrigation water to paddy plantations. However, based on 2011 statistics, the government had to provide a subsidy of K 23490 per acre as it levied only K 9000 for irrigation. It had to spend K 1147.09 million for 48833 acres of farmlands. It still had to collect K 929.175 million for irrigation from farmers. As proposed by the Public Accounts Committee, 270 river pump station projects distributing under 2000 acres of farmlands would be handed over to the Regions and States in the 2012-2013 fiscal year. Currently, work is underway on only one new project, the Shwe Hlan Bo pump station in Sinkaing township in Mandalay Region. Work on 40 other pump station projects has been suspended for the 2012-2013 fiscal year and no budget has been alloted to them. The Hsimigon-3 pump project in in Myingyan Township of Mandalay Region has also been suspended. Only when technical assistances and foreign investment are acquired, will it be resumed. The suspension was approved by decision of the Cabinet.

NLM, 20/09/11. Edited. http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs12/NLM2011-09-20.pdf

At the session of the Amyotha Hluttaw (Nationalities Chamber) of the Union Parliament on 19/09/11, U Myo Myint of Mandalay Region Constituency-6 asked whether the EPM-2 had plans 1) to improve the system at the Kyawzi river pumping station so as to be able to fully supply water to the 8,000 acres in its catchment area; 2) to continue with the project of supplying irrigation water from the main canal of the Hsintewa (Thamatku) dam, since 500 acres of farmland in the catchment area of the dam had not yet been supplied with irrigation, even though the Chaungson pumping system and related works had been completed 10 years ago; 3) to supply water from the main canal of the Welaung Dam to 745 acres of farmland and local villages, since the Kanni pump station and other related works had been completed; and 4) whether there was a time frame to complete the construction of the planned 33/11/0.4-KV sub-power station at Welaung village which would assist with the pump station projects and the power supply to villages in the 20-mile radius of Taungtha.

In his reply, EPM-2 Khin Maung Soe said the Ministry was able to supply power to the pump stations and towns and villages in Myingyan, Natogyi, Taungtha, Mahlaing and NyaungU townships, through the main sub-power station in Myingyan that was equipped with two 45-MVA transformers. The station at Myingyan had been operating around the clock since 25/10/03, using just 20pc of the capacity of the transformers. It could supply sufficient power to the extended systems of the Kyawzi pump station, he said.
With regard to the second question, the Minister said that EPM-2 had constructed a 160-KVA transformer near Chaungson Village in Taungtha township and had supplied power to the pump station on the main canal of the Hsintewa (Thamatku) dam through 11-KV cables between Taungtha and Welaung since 01/02/01. He said the power supply had been halted since 29/11/10 at the request of the Taungtha Township Water Resources Utilization Dept. Power could be supplied to the pump station on the main canal of the Hsintewa (Thamatku) dam around the clock if the project resumed, the Minister said.
In replying to the third question, the Minister said that a sub-power station equipped with two 33/11-KV transformers in Taungtha had been supplying power to the pump station at Kanni on the main canal of the Welaung dam around the clock since 24/07/11. It was linked by 11-KV cables tp Taungtha, Welaung and Kanni and there was now a 100-KVA sub-power station at the Kanni pump station.
As to the fourth question, the Minister said that a total of 12 transformers had been installed to supply power to the Kanni pump station and 10 villages in the area, and that these could produce 910 KVA in total. These stations and villages consumed only about 45pc of the total output of the 33-KV sub-power station in Taungtha. The two pump stations and the 10 villages in Taungtha township had sufficient supply of power, the Minister concluded and it was not required to construct a 33/11-KV, 1.25-MVA subpower station at Welaung village. However, if there was an extension to the pump station network in the area and a need to increase the power consumption rate, the construction of a sub-power station would be carried out.
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Appendix 30
THE ELECTRICITY LAW OF 1984
To access a translation of the text of the Electricity Law (1984): Act No. 7 of the People's Parliament (Pyithu Hluttaw), consult http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs11/Electricity-Law-1984.pdf

The Electricity Law (1984) was enacted by the People’s Parlaiment of the Socialist Republic of Burma. It was an attempt to update and simplify the provisions of the original Electricity Act of the Union of Burma which dated back to the period shortly after Indepedence was delared in 1948. There was nothing very original about the Electricity Act of the late 1940s. For the most part, it was simply a carbon copy of the provisions of the Electricity Act of India (1910) which (with minor modifications) had become the law of the land in Burma when it was separated from India in 1937 by its colonial masters.

Like its predecessor, the Electricity Law (1984) has very little to say about how the national task of searching for sources of electric power and of building up a system of generating plants and substations and of developing a network of transmission and distribution lines is to be organized and regulated. Both the 1949 Act and the 1984 Law are more concerned with the supervision of a system already in place, i.e., inspectors and inspections, electrical standards, safety precautions, penalties for infractions under the law and the possible appointment of a ‘board of advisers’ to assist the cabinet minister of a unnamed department in carrying out his/her responsibilities. Chapter 9 of the 1984 “Law” does introduce the idea of an “electrical inspection department” which would be responsible for electrical standards, research, the inspection of electrical goods produced in or imported into the country, the resolution of disputes relating to electrical affairs.
One significant difference between the 1949 Act and 1984 Law is the approach taken to the ‘suppliers’ of the electrical services named in the legislation. The 1949 Act, like its colonial predecssors, seems to assume that most of these suppliers would be companies that it designates as “licensees”, although it also refers to “local authorities” as possible service providers. The 1984 Law, which was drafted as part of the legislative agenda of the Socialist People’s Programme Party, designates five possible actors to serve as electrical suppliers. They are named in Section 4 under Chapter 2 of the 1984 Law: 1) the government electrical corporation, 2) state-owned factories and workshops under the different ministries, 3) registered co-ops, 4) registered private enterprises and 5) other organizations. Needless to say, actors 3), 4) and 5) are bound by a much tighter system of regulation than the first two. One interesting holdover from this law is the fact that some government departments such as the Ministries of Mines, Energy, and Defence still have their own separate facilities that produce, distribute and consume electrical power. Certainly, actor no 4 -- registered private enterprises – with their omnipresent diesel generators have become one of the largest producers and consumers themselves of electricity in default of sufficient supply from the government’s electricity corporation.
The best way of understanding the Electricity Law of 1984 is to see it in its context as a period piece of legislation of the Burma Socialist Programme Party era which was instituted at the beginning of 1974 and collapsed in August 1988. This was a time when it was expected that a process of national planning under the the direction of BSPP would guide the country from an agricultural economy to an agro-based industrial economy through a series of five consecutive four-year programs. The Electricity Law 1984 was designed to ensure that the different sectors driving the economy would have a uniform system of regulation in the development and use of electrical power. In reality, it seems to have been largely ignored, coming as it did close to the end of the first period of military rule in Burma. The second period of military rule under the SLORC-SPDC administration was to bring in a very different set of priorities in the regulation of the electrical industry in Burma/Myanmar which will certainly prove to have been far more wide-reaching in their impact.
Additional references
Other legislation concerned with the provision of electricity in the same section of the Online Burma Library as the ‘Electricity Law 1984’ includes the ‘Electricity Act 1910’ (as modified for use in Burma in 1937 and 1948) and ‘The Law Amending the Electricity Act 1990’. See

http://www.ibiblio.org/obl/show.php?cat=1766&lo=d&sl=0
See above: ‘Electricity inspection group to be expanded’ (MT: 23/01/12)

See also: ‘Ministry of Electric Power re-organized’ (NLM: 16/05/06)

‘Yangon City Electric Power Supply Board Law enacted’ (NLM: 23/11/05)

‘Review of electric power developments up to 2000’ (BT: July 2002)

See also other titles in the index under ‘Government Regulation, Oreganization, Priorities’ (GR)
NLM, 15/11/11. Edited and condensed. http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs12/NLM2011-11-15.pdf

At the session of the Pyithu Hluttaw on 14/11/11, U Kyi Tha of Gwa Constituency submitted a proposal for the amendment of the Electricity Law of 1984. He said that at the time the law was enacted, the Electric Power Corporation was under the Ministry of Industry No. 2 and was responsible to explore for, generate, transmit and distribute electricity. Presently, however, there are two ministries charged with reponsibilities for electric power. EPM-1 is tasked with producing electricity from hydropower plants, and EPM-2 with selling electricity. In addition, Shweli-1 and Tapein-1 hydropower plants are under joint Myanmar and foreign ownership and sell electricity to the PRC through the Myanma electric power supply system. Local companies are developing generating facilities such as the Thaukyaykhat-2 and Biluchaung-3 hydropower projects under a JV/BOT arrangement with the State. A law needs to be enacted that covers the sale of electricity from such power plants to the national grid as well as the control and supervision of electricity by the national electricity network.

Under the Electricity Law of 1984, the Electric Power Inspection Department of the Ministry of Industry-1 was given overall responsibility for all matters concerned with electricity, including safety issues, but under current procedures the Inspection Dept is carrying out electric hazard prevention tasks only. Furthermore, under the provisions of the Electricity Law of 1984, co-operative societies are permitted to generate up to 750 kilowatts and private firms up to 300 kilowatts. But, private firms in Shan and Kachin states are already producing more than the permitted rate in the hydropower plants they have built and are selling electricity to specific regions and towns through the Myanma Electric Power Enterprise.
The Electricity Law cannot be amended solely by the three ministries involved. Co-ordination and co-operation are necessary if a good and rational law is to be developed. It is therefore proposed that the related ministries should amend the Electricity Law in the interest of the State and the people. The motion proposed by U Kyi Tha of Gwa constituenecy was seconded by U Myint Thu of Dagon Myothit East Constituency. The proposal of U Kyi Tha will be discussed on 16/11/11. As there was no one who disagreed with the proposal, the Hluttaw decided to submit the wishes of the Pyithu Hluttaw to the authorities concerned.
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NLM, 17/11/11. Edited. http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs12/NLM2011-11-17.pdf

At the session of the Pyithu Hluttaw on 16/11/11, two Hluttaw representatives discussed the proposal submitted by U Kyi Than of Gwa Constituency on 14/11/11.

U Aye Mauk of Mahlaing Constituency said that electricity had first been used by the Burma Ruby Mine in Mogok in 1908. By 1910, Yangon and Mandalay were being supplied with electricity. The Electricity Act (1910) was brought in as a safeguard against electrical hazards, and Electricity Rules were issued in 1937. In compliance with the Electricity Supply Act promulgated in 1948, an electricity supply board was formed. Law No. 7 of Pyithu Hluttaw known as the Electricity Law was enacted in 1984 and Electricity Rules were issued in 1985. Although this law and rules were appropriate for the period when they came into force, changes were now necessary due to the increase in consumption of electricity, the use of modern electronic equipment and changes in the supply system.
Changes in the law were already under consideration by the Electrical Inspector under the Industrial Supervision and Inspection Department of the Ministry of Industry-1. The Electrical Inspector was responsible for [inspecting electrical installations] and taking preventive measures against the dangers of electricity and the avoidance of losses between producers and consumers. However the office of the Electrical Inspector had functioned outside the ministries directly concerned with the production and supply of electricity. This had resulted in weaknesses in the application of the law. There was a need for both the ministries of electric power to abide by the law and to submit to the regulation of the Electrical Inspector. Accordingly, the Electricity Law should be amended and provisions added to it.
The member for Mahlaing Constituency said the Industrial Supervision and Inspection Department under the Ministry of Industry-1 had already drawn a bill to amending the 1984 Electricity Law. It was now necessary, he said, for the Ministry of Industry-1, Ministry of Industry-2 and the Ministry of Electric Power-2 to make concerted efforts for the emergence of an improved Electricity Law as soon as possible and for the Pyithu Hluttaw to form a single committee to coordinate the necessary measures for amending the Electricity Law.
In his remarks. U Win Oo of Yebyu Constituency said that efforts were being made to construct small-scale hydropower projects capable of generating 500 kilowatts to supply the villages of Dawei District in order to improve the supply of electricity in the rural areas that would help to alleviate poverty. But although the regional and state governments were permitted to approve small-scale electricity generating tasks, these governments were delaying the issuance of permits because there were no laws in effect governing such procedures. It was not enough simply to allow private entrepreneurs to undertake the supply and selling of electricity under the constitution. The electric power ministries needed to join forces in preparing a law that would completely revise the 1984 Electricity Law and the Hluttaw needed to approve these changes.

With regard to the proposal to amend the Electricity Law of 1984, EPM-2 Khin Maung Soe said that the Ministry was charged with the responsibility of generating, transmitting and distributing electricity for the development tasks of the State. He said that Electricity Act enacted in 1948 had led to the formation of an electricity supply board in Myanmar and that under instructions of the Ministry of Industry, the Electrical Inspector had drawn up an electricity law in 1974. The Electricity Law had been approved as law No. 7 of the Pyithu Hluttaw in 1984. Moreover, the Ministry of Industry-1 under the agreement of the Cabinet had issued the Rules of the Electricity Law in 1985 based on the Electricity Rules of India (1937). In 1990, the State Law and Order Restoration Council had promulgated a law amending Sections 30 and 31 of the Electricity Law known as law No. 3/90. In 2005, the Yangon Electricity Supply Board had been formed to undertake the supply of electricity in accordance with the Yangon Electricity Supply Board Law.

When the Myanmar Electricity Law had been drawn in 1984-85, there was only one hydropower plant, six gas power plants and 19 main power stations, and the national grid consisted of only 1194 miles of transmission lines. At present, he said, Myanmar had 17 hydropower plants, 10 gas power plants, one coalfired power plant, 154 main power stations, and the national grid consisted of 5756.51 miles of transmission lines.
In the time of the State Peace and Development Council, the Prime Minister had instructed the office of the Electrical Inspector under the Ministry of Industry-1 to be transferred to the Ministry of Electric Power-2. The Ministry of Electric Power-2 had also been assigned the responsibility for updating the rules of the Electricity Law in conformity with current conditions in co-ordination with both of the ministries of industry. These three ministries had held many meetings in carrying out this directive.
Since the formation of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, instructions had been issued to amend, add, revoke and redraw laws deemed currently inappropriate under the guidance of the Attorney-General’s Office. A work coordination meeting had been held on 0/08/11, attended by officials of the two ministries of electric power, other ministries and the Attorney-General’s Office, along with representatives of the Myanmar Engineering Society, the Myanmar Construction Entrepreneurs Association and electricians. In revising the Electricity Law of 1984, it was necessary to bear in mind that this law did not provide specific measures outlining how the electric power system was to function in conformity with power plants, power stations, control of the national grids, the generation and consumption of power, the generation of electricity to meet the increasing demands for power, the drawing of an electricity supply plan for extended supply of electricity.
With regard to the 2008 Constitution, Section 189: sub-paragraph (a) under paragraph 4 that deals with the energy, electricity, mining and forest sector in Schedule 2 of the region or state legislative list states that “except the heavy electricity production and supply to be managed by the Union, areas of the Regions or State that are not not connected to the national grid may operate small- and medium-scale electricity generating and supply. Therefore, it is necessary to draw up plans for the supply of electricity to be undertaken by regions and states in line with the Electricity Law. The existing law does not comprise provisions on supply of electricity in rural areas.
Entrepreneurs and foreigners have been allowed to invest in the electrical sector of the State. Consequently, electricity from Shweli-1 and Tarpein- 1 power plants is being sold within Myanmar for domestic consumption and to the People’s Republic of China. In this connection, it is necessary to prescribe clear and exact provisions for local and foreign electricity sales. Moreover, Thaukyaykhat-2 and Upper Biluchaung Power Plant are being implemented with the investments of entrepreneurs. There should be suitable laws for purchase of electricity from the power plants through power system as well as direct sales for consumers.
As it is important that type of electricity (volt, frequency and circuit) must be in conformity with electricity demand of consumers, power consumers are playing an important role in the electrical sector.
The government has started to draw up the new Electricity Law that will cover all ministries, private entrepreneurs and power consumers and include measures related to the generation, transmission, distribution, and consumption of electricity as well as control of the power system, sale of electricity, and system planning.
Since the ministries concerned have already commenced the tasks related to the proposal of U Kyi Tha, his proposal noted for therecord and Hluttaw approved the provision of necessary assistance for the task.
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Appendix 31
WORK REPORTED UNDERWAY ON 500-KV GRID UPGRADE

NLM, 16/04/11. http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs11/NLM2011-04-16.pdf

On 14/04/11, EPM-2 Khin Maung Soe inspected the new location chosen for the switch bay at the 230-KV Toungoo main power station and the site for for the [future] 500-KV Toungoo main power station. The control building at the existing 230-KV station is is being extended [to make way for the new developments]. Then he checked on the installation of changes to the 230-KV bus bar and arrangements for changes in the location of the switch bay. [A photo of the switch bay accompanies the article.]
Compiler’s note: This is the first published report on provisions being taken for the construction on the long-planned 500-KV transmission grid that will eventually link the key generating stations throughout the country.
Additional references
See above: ‘KEPCO to study improving power transmission system’ (MT: 31/07/06)

See below: ‘Grid Map 7: Long-term plan for transmission system in mid-2008’

NLM, 16/02/12. http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs13/NLM2012-02-16.pdf

Myanma Electric Power Enterprise (MEPE) signed an MoU with China Three Gorges Corporation and HydroChina Kunming Engineering Corporation for formulating a electricity plan for Myanmar on 14/02/12. The Ministry of Electric Power-2 is planning to upgrade the national electricity system from 230 KVA to 500 KVA in order to reduce voltage irregularity. At the signing ceremony EPM-2 Khin Maung Soe said the project planning will be completed within one year and surveys and on-the- job training would be conducted for young Myanmar engineers. Afterwards, MEPE Managing-Director Khin Maung Zaw and V-P Bi Yaxiong of China Three Gorges Corporation signed and exchanged the MoU. The project planning process will study and review the current electricity supply systems in detail.

Khin Myat, Myanmar Times, 03/09/07 http://mmtimes.com/no382/n016.htm

The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and the EPM No 2 met to discuss the KOICA-sponsored project to develop a nationwide electric power network. The third phase of the project is 50pc complete; the first phase in 01-02 involved analysis of Myanmar’s power system network; the second phase in 03-05 involved draft of a basic design for a 500-kilovolt transmission system. During the third phase, titled ‘Power System Operation and Protection Scheme’ from 2006 to 2008, KEPCO has been commissioned to carry out research and consulting activities including data surveys for operation and protection areas, establishment of a reactive power compensation plan and a statistics management system, and to prepare recommendations to prevention of power system blackouts prevention methods.

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Appendix 32