Three of five major hydropower projects stalled due to regional conditions
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Phyo/Thant Zin (NP News) – Oct 28
Three of the government's five major hydroelectric projects have been on hold for years due to fighting and regional instability, The Statesman has learned.
The five major hydropower projects being built with the Union budget are the Middle Paunglaung project, Shwe Li (3) Project, Upper Yeywa Project, Tha Htay River Project, and Upper Kengtawng Project.
Among the five major projects, the Tha Htay River Hydroelectric Project is being implemented on Tha Htay River in Thandwe Township, Rakhine State. Although it is about 80 percent complete, it has been suspended for more than a year due to local conditions.
In addition, the Upper Yeywa Hydroelectric Project, which is being built on the Dokhtawaddy River (Myit Nge River), has been suspended for almost two years due to fighting.
Similarly, the Shwe Li (3) project, which is being implemented on the Shwe Li River, about 12 miles north of Momeik Township, Shan State (Northern), has been suspended for the time being.
“The Tha Htay project is in Thandwe. It has been suspended since 2024 due to regional conditions. There is the Shwe Li (3) project. It is in northern Shan. There is also the Upper Yeywa project in northern Shan. Those two have been completely suspended since 2023 and 2024 due to regional conditions,” said a source close to the Ministry of Electric Power.
The three major projects that have been put on hold currently have a total installed capacity of 1441 megawatts. Once completed, these projects will be able to generate 5195 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually.
Currently, out of the five major hydropower projects being built with federal funds, only two, the Middle Paunglaung Project and the Upper Kengtawng Project, are still under construction.
“At present, only one hydropower project is still under construction, the Upper Kengtawng project in the Shan State. We are working to complete it by the beginning of the 2027-2028 fiscal year. It is in the Shan State and has a capacity of 51 megawatts. It is currently being implemented. The Middle Paunglaung project is being built in Naypyidaw, as well. Middle Paunglaung is still in its infancy,” he continued.
There are 10 hydroelectric projects nationwide, including eight large projects and two small projects.
The total installed capacity is comprised of several projects: the Middle Paunglaung Project (166 MW), the Shwe Li (3) Project (1050 MW), the Didok Project (66 MW), the Upper Yeywa Project (280 MW), the Thay Project (111 MW), the Upper Kengtawng Project (51 MW), the Upper Biluchaung Project (30 MW), and the Middle Yeywa Project (750 MW).
Similarly, the Nampanga project with an installed capacity of six megawatts and the Hwayhtaik project with an installed capacity of four megawatts are small hydropower projects, according to data from the Ministry of Electric Power.