Myanmar eyes four power export schemes

The government of Myanmar has identified four potential large power-generation projects with a view to exporting electric power to neighboring Thailand. The four schemes would have a combined generating capacity of 5,555 MW and are expected to cost more than $5 billion to build. The move follows an agreement signed last year by Rangoon and Bangkok in which Thailand agreed to buy up to 1,500 MW of power from Myanmar by 2010.

June 22, 1998

2 min read

The move follows an agreement signed last year by Rangoon and Bangkok in which Thailand agreed to buy up to 1,500 MW of power from Myanmar by 2010.

The four projects are the 3,600-MW Tasang hydroelectric scheme, the 1,500-MW Kanbauk combined cycle gas-fired plant, the 400-MW Hutgyi hydro project, and the 55-MW Nam Kok hydroelectric scheme.

In addition, Myanmar officials have outlined five other power generation projects, with a total capacity of 4,580 MW, that could also be built to supply the Thai market. These are at the feasibility study stage.

Selection of the first four projects was largely based on their proximity to the Thai border. An Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) official said it is too early to discuss which plants would be built first, but industry sources suggested that Nam Kok and Kanbauk would be first.

A Thai-Japanese consortium including MDX plc, Italthai, and Marubeni Corp. has completed studies for the Nam Kok project and concluded it would be the cheapest of the four to build. But the Kanbauk gas-fired plant is high on Myanmar's list of priorities because it could improve returns from Yadana gas field development (see related story, p. 36).

Meanwhile, Myanmar plans to build a 300-MW gas-fired power station in Rangoon, with fuel to be sourced from Yadana. The gas will arrive via a 240-km pipeline from the field, currently being developed by Total SA.