Time to heal power shortage in Myanmar
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Tun Mon Thet (NP News) - Nov 6
Listed in the countries with low access rates to electricity, Myanmar has witnessed a power shortage at a serious level within these years. In order to light the country’s population with sufficient generation of electricity, it needs the government to have full confidence with full responsibility to install the electrification plans, especially for the mega projects that have been halted in previous years or decades such as Myitsone Dam Hydropower project or the projects that are planned on Than Lwin River.
Then-President U Thein Sein suspended the Myitsone Dam project in September 2011 amid the high escalation of the ‘No Dam in Ayeyawady River’ movement. However, the Myitsone issue was, in fact, driven by the political manipulation that fanned the flame of public sentiment objecting to the government, especially in the democratic transition period.
The trade-off was huge. Over a decade later, the entire country has suffered badly from very frequent power outages.
Electricity is highly correlated to the economic development. Social, political, economic, and educational advancements and the progress and growth in all of them basically require electricity. It is more than an infrastructure.
Accordingly, the idea to resume the Myitsone Dam project has recently been called among the public.
With regard to the cancellation of the project in 2011, U Than Lwin Htun – well-experienced and a senior journalist – recalled and remarked: “In my opinion, the majority of the Myanmar people do not have the capacity to resist the impacts of disinformation and the propaganda. They can be easily shaped by the deception. Likewise, in the Myitsone project, the environmentalists took a jump ahead and instigated the public saying like ‘Our Mother Ayeyawady River’ or something like that. Since the public itself had already been allergic to the military dictatorship at that time, they could not consider the infrastructure requirements for the country’s development. They all demanded to annul the mega project.”
Turning into the National League for Democracy ruled administration led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the authority failed again to persuade the public to resume the hydropower dam by explaining about the project very well. The project was still suspended for another five years.
The protracted deficiency of electricity indeed cost the country and its people more than necessary. As a matter of fact, buying inverters, power generators, home-scale solar installations, candle lights, rechargeable fans, and other energy to engine them such as gasoline are more costly within the decade than constructing a power plant. In addition to this, noise, pollution and similar negative externalities emitted from those power machine sources cost the environment, human health and ecosystem of the country more than enough.
Although Myanmar expects to deliver electricity 100 percent in the entire country by 2030 with the National Electrification Project (NEP), the progress is believed not to be accomplished the goal. After the 2021 political transition, many power towers, power stations, sub-stations, and national grids were sabotaged and destroyed by the terrorists. Therefore, the hydropower dams – a clean energy source – should be reconsidered to prioritize this time to trigger the country’s development.
An Executive Director of the Thayninga Institute for Strategic Studies U Thein Tun Oo said, “If we are going to implement conservation efforts for the Ayeyawady River, the river course management including dams is essential. If we integrate this with hydropower projects, we can achieve two benefits at once. I’m sure a day will definitely come when we will need to construct the dams in the Ayeyawady River to maintain the course of it.”
U Thein Tun Oo continued: “So, we need the genuine reports and reviews of the experts to implement those projects successfully. It's not easy to achieve success amidst the various political analyses and opinions. Then, our country won’t be developed. Every project has positive and negative aspects. So, it's crucial to think critically and act in ways that minimize the negative impacts as much as possible. Simply put, if we can maximize the benefits, we should strive to do so.” He added, “Myitsone is the state-level project that was hindered by political maneuvering.”
It reflects how political interests and agendas can overshadow the essential development projects in Myanmar.
The Kachin Independence Army (KIA), devotees of Christianity, started a fight with Myanmar Tatmadaw under the Myitsone issue in June 2011. The KIA, backed by the West bloc, first opposed the Chinese-backed mega project in Myanmar by military means in 2011. After that, many public voices of ‘No Dam in Ayeyawady River’ and ‘No Chinese mega project in Myanmar’ were instigated.
However, to resume the Myitsone project, which was halted at the state level, it requires a certain degree of explanations, reports, knowledge sharing about clean energy sources, public awareness-raising programs, and media publications.
At this point, Myanmar authorities and Chinese enterprises should inform transparently, responsibly, and accountably to Myanmar journalists about the pros and cons, and terms and conditions of the project with resourceful information. Only then, can the reporters and editors of the media houses bridge between people and the project developers.
Senior journalist U Than Lwin Htun also remarked, “Instability and unrest in neighbouring Myanmar are not beneficial for China. The Chinese government understands and acknowledges it very well. Not only the G-to-G relations, but the relationship between the Chinese and Myanmar people is equally important. Therefore, it’s crucial to prioritize public sentiment and ensure that large-scale projects do not negatively impact their feelings. Efforts should be made to clearly communicate the long-term sustainable benefits of those projects transparently.”
There needs to be a stronger emphasis on community engagement and understanding the local perspectives involved in these initiatives. Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, the Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Services, schedules to attend the Greater Mekong Subregion summit in the first week of November. Reports said he will reportedly to meet with Chinese president and high official Chinese diplomats. Win-Win outcomes are expected to involve to resume the Chinese mega projects in Myanmar.
The hydroelectric power projects at the Confluence of the Ayeyawady River are set to produce as follows: Myitsone project will generate 6,000 megawatts, the Laiza project will produce 2,800 megawatts, Chiphwe project will yield 3,400 megawatts, Usauk project will add 2,500 megawatts, Phisaw project is expected to generate 2,400 megawatts, Khaunglanphu project will produce 3,000 megawatts, and Rinan project will contribute 1,400 megawatts; over 20,000 megawatts of electricity are projected to produce in total.