SOLAR POWER IN MYANMAR 2019

6/30/2019 Solar power in Myanmar - Wikipedia
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Solar power in Myanmar
Solar power in Myanmar has the potential to generate 51,973.8 TWh/year, with an average of over 5 sun hours per
day. Even though most electricity is produced from hydropower in Myanmar, the country has rich technical solar power
potential that is the highest in the Greater Mekong Subregion; however, in terms of installed capacity Myanmar lags
largely behind Thailand and Vietnam.[1]
The country aims to generate 8% of electricity through renewable energy sources—through wind and solar energy—by
2021 and 12% by 2025.[2] In general, foreign direct investment in renewable energy in Myanmar was very limited during
the period of 2012-2018.[3]
In rural areas, photovoltaics are used for charging batteries and pumping water.[4] 70% of the Burmese population of 50
million live in rural areas.[5]
Myanmar's opened its first solar power plant in Minbu, Magway Division, in November 2018.[6] The plant will produce 40
megawatts (MW) of electricity in its first phase of operations and will produce 170 MW once fully operational.[6][7]
The country has plans to build two solar energy plants—in Myingyan and Wundwin in Mandalay Division—each to have a
generation capacity of 150 MW.[2]
Energy in Myanmar
1. Vakulchuk, Roman; Kyaw Kyaw Hlaing; Edward Ziwa Naing; Indra Overland; Beni Suryadi and Sanjayan Velautham
(2017). Myanmar’s Attractiveness for Investment in the Energy Sector. A Comparative International Perspective. (htt
ps://www.researchgate.net/publication/317954536) Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI) and
Myanmar Institute of Strategic and International Studies (MISIS) Report.
2. "Rural areas to receive electricity powered by renewable sources: Minister" (https://www.mmtimes.com/news/rural-
areas-receive-electricity-powered-renewable-sources-minister.html). The Myanmar Times. March 3, 2019. Retrieved
2019-03-09.
3. Stokke, Kristian; Vakulchuk, Roman and Indra Overland (2018) Myanmar: A Political Economy Analysis (https://ww
w.researchgate.net/publication/323018961). Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI). Report
commissioned by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
4. Renewable Energy Sector (http://www.energy.gov.mm/renewableenergysector.htm) Archived (https://web.archive.or
g/web/20120414100518/http://www.energy.gov.mm/renewableenergysector.htm) April 14, 2012, at the Wayback
Machine
5. Solar power fills in for electricity in rural areas (http://www.mizzima.com/news/inside-burma/2866-solar-power-fills-i
n-for-electricity-in-rural-areas.html) Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20120708224705/http://mizzima.com/ne
ws/inside-burma/2866-solar-power-fills-in-for-electricity-in-rural-areas.html) 2012-07-08 at the Wayback Machine
6. "Country's first solar power plant to start operations in Magwe" (https://www.mmtimes.com/news/countrys-first-sola
r-power-plant-start-operations-magwe.html). The Myanmar Times. October 15, 2018. Retrieved 2019-03-09.
7. "Minbu solar power project commences in time for summer 2019" (https://www.mmtimes.com/news/minbu-solar-po
wer-project-commences-time-summer-2019.html). The Myanmar Times. November 19, 2018. Retrieved 2019-03-09.
See also
References

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Solar Energy Potential and Applications in Myanmar
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Solar Energy Potential and Applications in Myanmar
Thet Thet Han Yee, Su Su Win, and Nyein Nyein Soe
Abstract—Energy consumption is one of the indices in
determining the levels of development of a nation. Therefore,
availability of energy supply to all sectors of life in any country is
crucial for its development. These exists shortage of all kinds of
energy, particularly electricity which is badly needed for economic
development. Electricity from the sun which is quite abundant in
most of the developing countries is used in rural areas to meet basic
electricity needs of a rural community. Today’s electricity supply in
Myanmar is generated by fuel generators and hydroelectric power
plants. However, far-flung areas which are away from National Grids
cannot enjoy the electricity generated by these sources. Since
Myanmar is a land of plentiful sunshine, especially in central and
southern regions of the country, the first form of energy- solar energy
could hopefully become the final solution to its energy supply
problem. The direct conversion of solar energy into electricity using
photovoltaic system has been receiving intensive installation not only
in developed countries but also in developing countries. It is mainly
intended to present solar energy potential and application in
Myanmar. It is also wanted to get the benefits of using solar energy
for people in remote areas which are not yet connected to the national
grids because of the high price of fossil fuel.
Keywords—Electricity supply in Myanmar, National Grids, solar
energy.
I. INTRODUCTION
HE provision of electricity to rural areas derives important
social and economic benefits to remove communities
throughout the world. The potential for PV-powered rural
applications is enormous.
The geographical location of Myanmar is between latitude
9° 58' N and 28° 29' N and longitude 92° 10' E and 101° 10' E.
Myanmar has a tropical monsoon climate. The cooler, dry
season lasts from November to April and the hotter, wet
season from May to September or October.
Differences of altitude within the country, and the extent of
exposure to the rainy southwest monsoon, are the main factors
responsible for differences of climate within Myanmar. The
weather is hottest from March-May, before the onset of the
heaviest rains.
Thet Thet Han Yee is with Mandalay Technological University Myanmar,
(corresponding author, phone: 095-02-88702; e-mail:
thetthethanyee@gmail.com).
Su Su Win is with Mandalay Technological University Myanmar, (e-mail:
susuwin1@gmail.com).
Nyein Nyein Soe with Mandalay Technological University Myanmar, (e-
mail: nyeinnsoe@gmail.com).
Temperatures are cooler in the mountains, but the weather at
places below 4000ft (1200m) is hot and tropical in most of the
year. In coastal areas, conditions can be uncomfortable
because of high humidity. Sunshine is plentiful during the dry
season, averaging 7 to 10 hours a day. During the rainy season
the weather is cloudier and daily sunshine amounts average
only 3 to 4 hours a day. Total area or total square miles of
Myanmar is 261228. The radiated heat energy from the sun on
to the earth converted to horse power is 469×1011
. Therefore,
total approximate horse power on total area of Myanmar is
calculated to be 123×1010
, that is the sun’s radiated heat power.
The following solar energy technologies can be successfully
propagated: solar cookers; solar water heating systems for
industrial application; solar distillation units for battery
charging; solar photovoltaic systems for water pumping,
battery charging, and power supply to children’s hospitals for
operating vital equipment. Solar air driers can be used for
agricultural and industrial products [1].
II. SOLAR ENERGY POTENTIAL IN MYANMAR
A. Solar Radiation Data of Myanmar
MEPE ( Myanma Electric Power Enterprise) experimental
measurements indicate that irradiation intensity of more than 5
kWh/m2
/day was observed during the dry season.
Since the reliability of these systems is paramount, the
sizing method used is based on radiation data for the worst
month of the year rather than on the average daily irradiation
over the year. In addition to ensure system operation even
over periods of lower solar radiation than predicted from the
average yearly values, the sizing often uses data for the worst
year in ten [2].
In practical applications, solar cells do not operate under
standard conditions. The two most important effects that must
be allowed for are due to the variable temperature and
irradiance. Temperature has an important effect on the power
output from the cell. Irradiance is directly proportional to the
short-circuit current of a solar cell [2].
Therefore, the recoded solar intensity around Yangon and
some part of the country are given in Table I and II [3]. Fig. 1
is shown solar radiation data corresponding to the selected
cities.
T
World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology
International Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences
Vol:2, No:6, 2008
667International Scholarly and Scientific Research & Innovation 2(6) 2008 scholar.waset.org/1307-6892/12130
InternationalScienceIndex,HumanitiesandSocialSciencesVol:2,No:6,2008waset.org/Publication/12130

TABLE I
MONTHLY AVERAGE RADIATION (KWH/M
2
/DAY) RECORDS OF SELECTED
CITIES
No
Location/
Cities
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun
1 Monywa 4.45 5.63 6.11 6.47 6.09 5.45
2 Meikhtila 4.55 5.64 6.25 6.64 5.98 4.97
3 Magwey 4.90 5.52 6.06 6.50 5.91 5.08
4 Lashio 4.45 5.71 6.07 6.07 5.71 4.91
5 Mandalay 4.50 5.65 6.06 6.33 5.97 5.45
6 Pyay 4.79 5.88 6.12 6.19 5.61 4.45
7 Myitkyina 4.16 5.05 5.56 5.82 5.48 4.07
8 Sittwey 4.65 5.68 5.84 6.49 5.42 3.78
9
Yangon
(Kaba Aye)
4.92 5.77 6.04 6.40 4.92 3.70
10 Dawei 5.06 5.82 6.00 6.29 4.85 4.68
11 Kauthaung 5.07 5.52 5.93 6.09 4.71 3.61
TABLE II
MONTHLY AVERAGE RADIATION (KWH/M
2
/DAY) RECORDS OF SELECTED
CITIES
No
Location/
Cities
Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
1 Monywa 4.93 4.66 4.75 4.37 4.11 4.05
2 Meikhtila 4.84 4.79 4.79 4.55 4.21 4.05
3 Magwey 4.83 4.79 4.90 4.69 4.16 4.31
4 Lashio 4.34 4.29 4.52 4.23 4.00 3.84
5 Mandalay 4.88 4.64 4.70 4.34 4.07 3.99
6 Pyay 4.22 4.21 4.56 4.58 4.35 4.28
7 Myitkyina 3.69 4.18 4.31 4.15 3.83 3.78
8 Sittwey 3.54 3.73 4.40 4.70 4.29 4.31
9
Yangon
(Kaba Aye)
3.41 3.50 4.05 4.63 4.52 4.47
10 Dawei 3.42 3.33 4.04 4.86 4.94 4.84
11 Kauthaung 3.30 3.27 3.85 4.72 4.70 3.54
B. Limitation of Solar Energy in Myanmar
The solar electric power can be improved the quality of life
for people living in insolated areas. The most important thing
is to keep the power system simple and dependable. Here,
power and light supplied with solar system are now available
for studying, working and for just playing around in rural
areas.
As Myanmar is situated in the southeastern part of the
Asian Continent, it enjoys abundant sunshine all year around,
especially in the Central Myanmar Dry Zone Area; Potential
available Solar Energy of Myanmar is around 51973.8 Terea
Watt-hour per year. Use of solar energy is also in the very
initial stages. Due to the expensive initial cost the solar energy
is presently in the research and development phase.
Fig. 1 Solar radiation data corresponding to the selected cities
III. SOLAR APPLICATIONS IN MYANMAR
A. Photovoltaic Current Applications in Myanmar
The current applications in Myanmar are
1. Natha-myaing Village 3.6 kW
2. VAST Station, Mogok 1.8 kW
3. PV System for Computer, 0.3 kW
Hakha, Chin State
4. PV System for Radio Telephone Post 3.00 kW
and Telecommunications
5. PV Battery Charging Station 0.45 kW
at Pale, Thongwa Township
6. PV Water Pumping Stations all over 40 kW
Myanmar, Water Resources Department
7. PV powerd Solar Refrigerators 50 kW
under Ministry of Health
8. PV powered Rural Health Centers 15 kW
under Ministry of Health
9. Private owned PV systems 250 kW
(sold by various companies)[4]
10.Yan Myo Aung Village 40 kW
11. Chaung Tha Village 80 kW
12. Other utilizations 50 kW
B. Javascript Solar Position Calculator
Javascript solar position calculator is simply to check for
the experiment data. The following Hyper Text Markup
Language Form uses the mathematical method described
above to calculate a range of solar data at a particular date
time. In Myanmar, even a little solar electric power can
improve the quality of life for people living in isolated areas.
The latitude, longitude and time zone of the described location
are simply entered, the required data and time is set, and then
the calculate button is selected. The correct time zone to
match the longitude of the site should be careful selected. This
calculator is used to calculate the Declination, Equation of
Vol:2, No:6, 2008

time, Solar Altitude, Solar Azimute, Solar Time, Sunrise and
Sunset of Mandalay. Thesse results are shown in Table III.
TABLE III
JAVASCRIPT SOLAR POSITION
Input Parameters
Latitude 22˚
Longitude 96˚
Time Zone GMT + 4
Month January
Day 21
Local Time UT – 8h
Output Results
Declination -20.0189
Equation of Time -11.1095 minutes
Solar Altitude 31.14˚
Solar Azimute 87.13˚
Solar Time 9:33 h
Time of Sunrise 07:13 h
Time of Sunset 16:35 h
C. Location of Water Pumping System in Nantha Myaing Village
Water delivery system of the whole village has been
operated by solar electric power supply system for Nantha
Myaing village. Nantha Myaing village was situated in
Madayar Township of Mandalay Division. According to the
radiation records, the monthly average radiation is high at
Mandalay within Upper Myanmar. So, Mandalay has chosen
the most promising site for the demonstration. Mean
insolation data for Nantha Myaing Village is shown in the
Table IV.
TABLE IV
MEAN INSOLATION DATA FOR MANDALAY (NANTHA MYAING VILLAGE)
Month Sunshine Hours Peak Sun Hours
January 7.6 5.5
February 6.4 5.5
March 4.7 4.5
April 8.7 6.5
May 9.1 6.5
June 8.9 6.5
July 8.5 6.0
August 8.0 6.5
September 5.8 5.5
October 7.0 6.0
November 7.5 6.0
December 4.5 4.5
Annual 7.23 5.8
D. Solar Electric Power System Establishment In Nantha
Myaing Village
Two solar photovoltaic power supply system’s installation
together with successful performance test was completed as
scheduled [5].
System I is configurated with 32 numbers of 75 W Siemens
Solar modules to run Grundfos SP 3A 10 Submersible Pump.
This system is established at pump station I. Thirty two solar
modules are installed on four auto tracker stands by dividing
our sub arrays with eight modules each mounted. System
performance description shows that output power capacity is
2399 W with water pump up capacity of 13254 gallons per
day at 180 ft head.
System II is configured with 16 numbers of 75 W Siemens
Solar modules to run Grundfos SP 3A 10 Submersible Pump.
This system is established at pump station II. Sixteen solar
modules are installed on two support structures, and mounted
at fix position facing to North direction.
Each mounting structure has eight modules. System
performance description shows that output power capacity is
1200 W with water pump up capacity of 4500 gallons per day
at 100 ft head.
Previously, eight numbers of concrete tanks and one over
head tank are established for village water distribution
system.
Among those, two concrete tanks situated at pump station I
and II are not operating. At present, those two old concrete
tanks are reconstructed. One at pump station II is equipped
with two 2" GI pipe lines to two new water taps for water
delivery. Two new over head tanks are established at the
capacity of 4800 gallons and 2400 gallons each. The larger
one constructed with 6 numbers of 8'×4'×4' metal tanks is
situated at pump station I. Another small head tank is
composed of 3 numbers of 8'×4'×4' metal tanks and which is
situated at pump station II [5].
E. Performance
After complete installation of the system I, performance
test result shows that water pump up capacity is 13500 gallons
per day (8 hrs/day run).
After complete installation of the system II, performance
test result shows that water pump up capacity is 7500 gallons
per day (8 hrs/day run).
F. Location of Solar Lighting System in Yan Myo Aung Village
In Yan Myo Aung, isolated village India Myanmar border,
110 families are beginning to enjoy the benefits of power and
light thanks to solar energy. In this government sponsored
program, solar home units had been installed for the entire
village. Designed and installed by every home involved in this
project is equipped with a fluorescent light switch, wires and
connectors and a battery with a discharge protector [7].
Vol:2, No:6, 2008

G. Location of Solar Lighting System in Chaung Tha Village
The first solar power and wind power in lighting system
attached by a diesel engine driven generator project was
started at Chaug Tha beach in late 2000. The main task of the
project is to lessen the pollution of air and better the
environment. By this project solar energy would generate 80
kW and wind turbine would generate 40 kW continuously. In
this project, the whole village had been powered by grid
connected system [7].
Other utilizations used in Myanmar are solar home system
for household electricity in Yangon and other cities, pumping
water for irrigation and drinking in Rakhine and Kachin States,
electrification for the remote villages for providing street
lighting and other community services in Kalay City,
telecommunication for the post and telegraph and railways
communication network, medical care centre in Kanbauk
village, solar clocks in heavy industries, solar cooking in
Ngapali beach in Rakhine State and solar road warning at
main road and solar traffic light in Yangon.
In Myanmar, even a little solar electric power can improve
the quality of life for people living in isolated areas.
Dependable power for light, communications, and water can
go a long way to improving health, education and the
economy in even the most remote villages. The most
important thing is to keep the power system simple and
dependable. Here, power and light supplied with solar system
are now available for studying, working and for just playing
around in rural areas [6].
IV. CONCLUSION
Since Myanmar is a land of plentiful sunshine, solar energy
is available around the country. Due to the expensive cost of
the solar energy, some can use it. So researchers have also
been doing research concerning about solar cells in Myanmar.
Researchers have also been doing concerning about solar cells
in Myanmar. If Myanmar produce solar cells as a home-made,
the prices will be cheaper than we expected. If so, everywhere
away from National Grids can enjoy the electricity generated
by solar energy. Solar energy is presently in the research and
development phase due to the cost.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The author would like to express her special thanks to her
parents for encouragement without any trouble throughout her
life. She wishes to express her deep gratitude to all teachers
from kindergarten to date. Especially, she wants to thank her
supervisors Dr. Khin Aye Win, Professor (Electrical Power) at
Yangon Technological University and Dr. Ni Ni Win,
Associate Professor, Electrical Power Engineering Department
at Mandalay Technological University.
REFERENCES
[1] S.K. Sharma, “Alternate Energy Utilization in Myanmar,” A Unicef
Myanmar Publication, March, 1992,University of Southampton, UK.
[2] Tomas Markvart, “Solar Electricity” University of Southampton, UK,
June 1992.
[3] “The National Strategy for the Integration of Energy and Rural
Development Policies and Program”, 2rd Draft, May 2005 Policies and
Programs.
[4] Dr. San Tint, “Commercialization of Renewable Energy for Sustainable
Development”: Yangon Technological University, November 1998.
[5] U Aung Myint, “Report on Solar Pump System Establement,”
March,1998.
[6] U Win Khaing, “Myanmar Solar Energy System”.
[7] U Win Khaing, “Solar Power Development for Rural Areas in
Myanmar”.
Thet Thet Han Yee was born in 1980, June 20. She got BE (Electrical
Power) in 2002 at Mandalay Technological university and finished Master
degree in 2003 with ME (Electrical Power) at Yangon Technological
University, Myanmar. After that she served as a Lecturer in Technological
University, Monywa about three years. At present she is a Ph.D candidate of
Electrical Power Engineering Department, MTU, Myanmar.
Thet Thet Han Yee made her first publication of International paper at this
paper “Solar Energy Potential and Applications in Myanmar.”
Vol:2, No:6, 2008

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Solar Energy Potentials In Myanmar
This project was carried out under the collaboration on renewable energy
and energy conservation between Thailand and the Union of Myanmar. The

project was organized by Department of Alternative Energy Development and
Efficiency (DEDE), Thailand and Department of Meteorology and Hydrology
together with Department of Energy Planning of the Union of Myanmar, Solar
Energy Research Laboratory of Silpakorn University, Thailand was invited to
carry out the project. The main objective of this project is to investigate the solar
energy potential of the Union of Myanmar. In investigating the solar energy
potential, solar radiation incident on the entire area of the Union of Myanmar was
estimated by using a satellite-based solar radiation model. An 11-year period
(1998-2008) of satellite data from GMS5, GOES9 and MTSAT-1R satellites were
used as an input of the model. The scattering and absorption of solar radiation due
to clouds, water vapour and ozone, and the depletion of solar radiation by aerosols
were also accounted in the model parameterization. The reflectivity data obtained
from the satellites provide cloud information to the model. The absorption of solar
radiation due to water vapour was computed from precipitable water data. The
ozone data from the EP/TOMS and AURA/OMI satellites were used to compute
the absorption due to ozone. The depletion of radiation due to aerosols was
estimated from visibility data and the 5S radiative transfer model. For the model
validation, solar radiation monitoring stations were established at 5 locations in
Myanmar, namely Yangon, Naypyitaw, Meiktila, Mandalay and Shwebo. Solar
radiation data obtained from these stations were used to compare with those
calculated from the model. In addition, the comparisons were also performed with

the measurement data collected from 10 stations in Thailand. These are Chiang
Mai, Chaing Rai, Doi Muser, Mae Sariang, Kanchanaburi, Thongphaphum,
Nakhon Pathom, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Chumphon and Ranong. The solar
radiation calculated from the model and that obtained from the measurement were
in good agreement with a root mean square difference (RMSD) of 8.9 %. After
the validation, the model was used to calculate monthly and yearly average daily
global solar radiation for the entire country and the results were displayed as solar
energy potential maps. The monthly maps show that the seasonal variation of
solar radiation is mainly affected by the monsoons and local geography. High
solar radiation is observed from February to May for most parts of the country.
From the yearly map, it can be seen that the central plain of the country including
Mandalay Division, Sagaing Division and Magway Division receive high solar
radiation (18-22 MJ/m2-day) for almost the whole year. The yearly average of
solar radiation for the entire country was found to be 18.3 MJ/m2-day. These
results indicate that Myanmar has a relatively high solar energy potential, which
can be utilized for various solar energy applications. Finally, a solar radiation
database was also developed for designing solar energy systems in Myanmar

Myanmar: Solar Investment Opportunities
Emerging Markets Task Force Report

Chair of the SolarPower Europe Emerging Markets Task Force: Stefano Mantellassi, Eni SpA.
Authors: ABO Wind AG (Alden Lee, Anna Aleksanova).
Coordinator of the SolarPower Europe Emerging Markets Task Force: Máté Heisz, SolarPower Europe.
Contact: info@solarpowereurope.org.
Acknowledgements: SolarPower Europe would like to extend a special thanks to ABO WIND AG and all Task Force members that contributed with their knowledge
and experience to this report. This would never have been possible without their continuous support.
Project information: The SolarPower Europe Emerging Markets Task Force was launched in March 2018 and, since then, has become an active working group of
nearly 100 experts from almost 50 companies. The objective of the Task Force is to identify business and cooperation opportunities and thereby contribute to the
energy transition in emerging markets outside Europe.
Design: Onehemisphere, Sweden.
Published: May 2019.
Disclaimer: This report has been prepared by SolarPower Europe. It is being furnished to the recipients for general information only. Nothing in it should be
interpreted as an offer or recommendation of any products, services or financial products. This report does not constitute technical, investment, legal, tax or any
other advice. Recipients should consult with their own technical, financial, legal, tax or other advisors as needed. This report is based on sources believed to be
accurate. However, SolarPower Europe does not warrant the accuracy or completeness of any information contained in this report. SolarPower Europe assumes no
obligation to update any information contained herein. SolarPower Europe will not be held liable for any direct or indirect damage incurred by the use of the
information provided and will not provide any indemnities.

SolarPower Europe / MYANMAR: SOLAR INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES - EMERGING MARKETS TASK FORCE REPORT / 3
TABLE OF CONTENTS
FOREWORD 5
CONTEXT 7
MYANMAR ELECTRICITY MARKET 14
RECOMMENDATIONS 20
REFERENCES 22
“This report series, developed by our Emerging Markets Task Force,
provides quality market information to solar investors looking for
opportunities around the world. It will help solar companies to
better access new markets, and thus ultimately, accelerate the
global energy transition.”
Walburga Hemetsberger
CEO, SolarPower Europe

4 / SolarPower Europe / MYANMAR: SOLAR INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES - EMERGING MARKETS TASK FORCE REPORT
Clean Energy Associates
Sponsor Members:
SolarPower Europe would like to thank the members of its
Emerging Markets Task Force that contributed to this report including:

FOREWORD
BY STEFANO MANTELLASSI, Vice-President Energy Solutions ENI SpA and Chair of the
SolarPower Europe Emerging Markets Task Force, and ALDEN LEE, Head of International
Solar Department, ABO Wind AG.
In March 2018, Solar Power Europe launched the Emerging Markets Task Force to identify business and
cooperation opportunities and thereby contribute to the energy transition in emerging markets outside Europe.
Since then, the Task Force has become an active working group of nearly 100 experts from almost 50 companies,
working on a suite of market reports and investigating available financing instruments for solar project
development in emerging markets.
The task force has operated through a series of physical and virtual meetings, visits in the selected markets and
conferences. We have also engaged in productive discussions with other relevant initiatives such as the Africa-EU
Renewable Energy Cooperation Programme (RECP), GET.invest and the IRENA Coalition for Action’s Business and
Investors Group. After a year of intense work, we are proud to present the Task Force’s first report on a Southeast
Asian country, Myanmar.
This report developed by ABO Wind AG, with the support of the Task Force, provides an overview of investment
opportunities for solar deployment in Myanmar. It offers a snapshot of the country’s business environment and an
overview of the major demographic and macroeconomic trends. It also addresses issues related to the country’s
credit and political risk. The report focuses on the energy context, relevant actors and the regulatory framework
for investments in renewables. The research finds that Myanmar has an incredible potential for solar energy, but
the government still has a lot of work to do to unleash the potential and to attract foreign direct investments into
Myanmar´s solar industry. Rising electricity demand, rapid demographic growth and strong neighbour solar
countries like China, India, and Thailand give Myanmar great opportunities to increase the installed solar capacity.
WiththesupportandexcellentcontributionofotherTaskForcemembers,wehavepublishedadditionalreportsonIvory
Coast, Mozambique and Senegal. In 2019, we are working on market reports on India, Kazakhstan, Morocco, Tanzania
and Tunisia, and technical reports on digital solar and quality assurance in emerging markets.
If you want to be part of this initiative and discover new business opportunities, join SolarPower Europe's Emerging
Markets Task Force.
STEFANO MANTELLASSI
Vice-President Energy Solutions,
ENI SpA.
Chair of the SolarPower Europe
Emerging Markets Task Force.
ALDEN LEE
Head of International Solar
Department, ABO Wind AG.

SOURCE: World Bank, 2017 Solargis.
GLOBAL HORIZONTAL
IRRADIATION
MYANMAR

1. CONTEXT
WORK STREAM
MYANMAR
OFFICIAL LANGUAGE
CAPITAL
LARGEST CITY
CURRENCY
SURFACE
POPULATION (2017)
URBAN POPULATION (% TOTAL POPULATION)(2017)
UNEMPLOYMENT RATE (2017)
GDP PER CAPITA (CONSTANT 2010 US$)
GDP GROWTH (2017)
GDP GROWTH SOUTHEAST ASIA (2017)
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INDEX (HDI)
(PERMITTED) INVESTMENTS IN POWER SECTOR IN 2018 (%)
PEOPLE USING AT LEAST BASIC DRINKING WATER SERVICES (%)
Burmese (Myanmar)
Naypyidaw
Yangon
Kyat (MMK)
676,578 km2
53.4 million
29.5%
2.2%
1,484.20 US$
5.7%
5.3%
0.578 (medium)
27.6%
67.5%
SOURCE: IMF, ADB, etc. All data given for year 2017, if not mentioned otherwise.
ENERGY GEOGRAPHY
Myanmar is one the most poorly electrified countries in
Southeast Asia, with an average electrification rate of
only 39% at the end of 2017. Yangon, its largest city and
the former capital, consumes almost half of the country’s
electricity supply. Myanmar has tremendous solar
resources and vast hydro potential. The International
Growth Centre (Energy in Myanmar, 2016) estimates the
country’s solar potential to be 51.973 TWh per year. The
Asian Development Bank assesses the opportunity for
solar in Myanmar up to 27 GWp. The average yearly total
of PV power production varies between 1,150 kWh/kWp
and 1,600 kWh/kWp with high values in the central
region. In the mountains, the power production is lower
by up to 20% (or even more, due to terrain shading).
According to other research, conducted by ESMAP (Suri, et
al., 2017), Myanmar has very good potential for
development of solar power, especially in the lowlands of
thecentralpartofthecountry,wheredemandisthehighest.
One of the most disaster-prone countries in the world
Myanmar is one of the most vulnerable to natural
disasters countries in the world. The country ranks 14th
out of 191 countries in INFORM 2019 Risk Index (INFORM
Index for Risk Management, 2019); it is highly exposed
to floods, earthquakes and tsunamis.
According to the Germanwatch Global Climate Risk
Index (Germanwatch, 2019), Myanmar was one of the
countries most affected by extreme weather events
between 1997 and 2016. Therefore, Myanmar would
benefit from decentralized power generation like solar.
DEMOGRAPHICS
Myanmar’s population is relatively young – according to
the 2014 Census, half of the population is under 30 years
old. However, life expectancy at birth is rising and
reached 66 years in 2016.
Despite significant progress made in poverty reduction
(the poverty rates decreased by 33% between
2004/2005 and 2015 from 48.1% to 32.1%, IMF), the
disparities between urban and rural areas remain very
stark (14.5% compared to 38.8% in 2015, IMF). Around
half of the population continues to live under the near-
poor line (IMF Country Report No. 18/91, 2018).
Myanmar´s HDI values have increased constantly during
the last decades so that Myanmar has entered the
“medium” group in the year 2016, ranking now 148th
out
of 189 countries.

MACROECONOMIC CONTEXT
Myanmar is one of the fastest growing countries in
Southeast Asia: as projected by the International
Monetary Fund, the country’s GDP growth for 2018-2019
is expected to be in the range of 6.9%-7.0% (IMF, 2018).
Myanmar is working on a series of economic reforms,
one of them being the implementation of the Myanmar
Sustainable Development Plan.
As projected by Coface, Myanmar’s economy growth will
continue to be one of the most dynamic in the region.
The agricultural sector which accounts for nearly a third
of the GDP is benefiting from public investments,
although the productivity remains quite low. Growth is
also stimulated by Chinese investments in
infrastructure.1
Economic growth will also persist thanks
to the manufacturing sector (textile, automotive,
machinery and electronics) and external demand.
1 CONTEXT / CONTINUED
FIGURE 1 COMPARISON: EDUCATION MYANMAR VS. THAILAND
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
EducationIndex
1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Thailand
Myanmar
SOURCE: United Nations Development Programme, Human Development Reports.
FIGURE 2 REAL GDP GROWTH (2000-2022)
0
4
8
12
16
%
2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022
Emerging and Developing Asia
Southeast Asia
Myanmar
SOURCE: The International Monetary Fund.
1 In September 2018 the Government of Myanmar signed a memorandum of
understanding with China on the construction of the China-Myanmar
Economic Corridor. The countries are intending to collaborate in many
sectors: from infrastructure, construction and manufacturing to agriculture,
transport, telecommunications, as well as research and technology.

The manufacturing sector in particular has a growing
demandforlow-costelectricity,whichsolarcouldprovide.
Because of its strategic geographical location, Myanmar
is benefiting from proximity to China, Thailand, India
and other fast-growing countries in ASEAN. Half of the
trade is with China, while India is the third largest
neighboring trade partner and one of the main investors
in Myanmar. The countries are working on improving air,
sea and road connectivity and boosting trade.
Thailand is also a major trade and investment partner
of Myanmar. Thailand is developing its Eastern
European Corridor (EEC), in order to improve
connectivity with other ASEAN countries, including
Thailand’s eastern seaboard to Myanmar’s Dawei deep-
sea port project. Around 75% of domestic gas
production is exported to China and Thailand. Gas
exports account for the majority of Myanmar’s GDP.
Strong exports reduced trade and current account
deficits in 2017/2018 (World Bank Group, 2018).
After a period of relative currency stability in 2017,
Myanmar experienced rapid depreciation of Kyat
against major currencies, such as the US dollar and
Yuan, driven by increased prices on imported goods
(including fuel) and rising public salaries. The inflation
rate also peaked, exceeding 8% in October 2018.
Recognizing that further development of monetary and
fiscal policies is required in the country, the IMF in its
2023 projections expects the inflation rates to remain
relatively stable.
As instructed by the Central Bank of Myanmar (CBM),
state and regional government as well as private
businesses are to undertake local transactions in
Myanmar Kyat. Since the high volatility and low
convertibility of Kyat, investors are facing significant
exchange rate risks. According to MHM Yangon, the
hedging opportunities for currency risks in the country
are quite limited.
The results of the latest World Bank survey of economic
conditions in Myanmar, conducted in February-March
2018, points out that businesses in the country are in
general optimistic about the future, referring to
improved availability of credit, growing employment,
public consumption and private investments (World
Bank Group, 2018).
Myanmar has double tax treaties with India, Laos,
Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, the United Kingdom,
and Vietnam. Consequently, many investments are are
flowing to the country via Singapore, which would also
be a convenient hub for foreign solar investors. The
country also has economic agreements with China,
Cuba, Kuwait and Singapore and economic and trade
agreements with Australia, Cambodia, Indonesia, New
Zealand and Turkey (KPMG, 2018).
FIGURE 3 INFLATION RATE, AVERAGE CONSUMER PRICES
-10
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
%annualchange
2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024
Southeast Asia
Myanmar
SOURCE: The International Monetary Fund.

BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT
According to the Heritage Foundation’s Index of
Economic Freedom 2018, Myanmar ranked 33rd among
43 countries in the Asia–Pacific region, and its overall
score is below the regional and world averages, which
allows to conclude that the country is economically
“mostly unfree”. The main concern is the conflicts over
land titles and poorly established property rights.
Corruption, especially among the police, is also one of
the main issues. The access to credit remains very poor,
while state-owned banks dominate the underdeveloped
financial sector. The prevalence of state-owned
enterprises is limiting foreign investment in the country.
Myanmar is also struggling with the enforcement of
contracts and protection of minority investors (The
Heritage Foundation). Since local debt financing and
international investors are vital for solar projects, this is a
ratherchallengingsituationforthegrowthoftheindustry.
Myanmar also scores rather poorly compared to other
countries in East Asia and the Pacific region in the
ranking of Doing Business (Ease of Doing Business in
Myanmar, 2018). Although the ease of doing business
significantly improved in 2015-2016 compared to
previous years, the business conditions for getting
credit, protecting minority investors and dealing with
enforcement of contracts make Myanmar one of the
most difficult countries for doing business in the world
(Ease of Doing Business in Myanmar).
FIGURE 4 ECONOMIC FREEDOM SCORE
0 100
53.9 (up 1.4 points)
61.1: World average
NOTABLE SUCCESSES: TRADE FREEDOM AND GOVERNMENT SIZE
CONCERNS: RULE OF LAW, INVESTMENT FREEDOM, AND FINANCIAL FREEDOM
OVERALL SCORE CHANGE SINCE 2014: +7.4
61.0: Regional average (Asia-Pacific region)
50 60 70 80
SOURCE: The Heritage Foundation (2019).
FIGURE 5 DOING BUSINESS EAST ASIA & PACIFIC, RANK (2018)
Myanmar
Lao PDR
India
Indonesia
Malaysia
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180
Rank
SOURCE: Doing Business, The World Bank Group (2018).

Project financing
There is no established practice for project financing in
Myanmar so far. Most of the project finance is realized
by international development banks and institutions,
such as the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the
World Bank, and the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
KfW, the German development bank, is also realizing
projects in the framework of the Rural Electrification
Programme. According to the Myanmar Legal Services
Limited, the local banking sector has very limited capital
to provide financial services required to support project
financing in the country.
ADB participated in the development of Myanmar
Companies Law, enacted in December 2017, while IFC
supported the implementation of Myanmar Investment
Law, which came into force in October 2016. Both
organizations also helped the Ministry of Electricity and
Energy(MOEE)todraftthefirstPPAagreementforaCCGT
power plant, located in Myingyan. This was the first
project awarded by a competitive bidding procedure.
As reported by the MHM Yangon, “any investment that is
strategically important, capital intensive, uses state-
owned land, or may have a large impact on the
environment or local community, requires permission
from the Myanmar Investment Commission (MIC) -
(ProjectFinanceReport2018-Myanmar,2018).”Aforeign
company also requires the MIC permit in order to obtain
land rights authorization for the initial term of 50 years
with two 10-year extensions. Power projects that are
bigger than 30 MW, additionally require MOEE approval.
Banking sector
From 1963 to 1990 Myanmar’s banking system was
completely state-owned. However, according to the
International Monetary Fund, private banks now
account for more than half of banking system assets. In
2003, Myanmar suffered a severe banking crisis that was
triggered by the collapse of ‘informal finance
companies’ that offered high rates of return, while
engaging in highly speculative investments (IMF Country
Report No. 18/91, 2018). Confidence in the financial
system was weakened by large-scale deposit
withdrawals, despite the preventive measures of the
Central Bank of Myanmar. Lack of access to deposits
made it difficult for companies to make payments to
suppliers and employees. It took almost a decade for
the banking system to recover and it still remains fragile.
Nevertheless, the sector began to open up in 2015/2016
when the first branches of foreign banks were granted
banking licenses. In December 2017, foreign banks were
permitted to provide export financing to local
corporations. The Central Bank of Myanmar is planning
to grant more banking licenses in 2019. As of today,
there are four state-run banks, 24 private banks and 13
foreign banks active in Myanmar.
The private sector’s credit share of the GDP is currently
around 25%. 95% of private sector lending is to large
enterprises, while households and SMEs rely on credits
from non-bank and informal lenders at higher interest
rates (IMF Country Report No. 18/91, 2018).
FIGURE 6 RANKINGS ON DOING BUSINESS (2018), BY TOPIC
0
50
100
150
200
Rank
Starting a
business
Dealing with
construction
permits
Getting
electricty
Registering
property
Getting
credit
Protecting
minority
investors
Paying
taxes
Trading
across
borders
Enforcing
contracts
Resolving
insolvency
SOURCE: Doing Business, the World Bank Group.

Legislation and regulatory framework
The Myanmar Companies Law (MCL) was enacted on
December 6, 2017 by the Directorate of Investment and
Company Administration (DICA), and entered into force in
August 2018. The law stipulates the provisions on
registration and incorporation of companies (including
overseas corporations) in Myanmar. MCL allows for up to
35% of foreign shareholding in companies classified as
Myanmar companies (Project Finance Report 2018 -
Myanmar, 2018).
Thereisnospecificlegalframeworkforrenewableenergy
investments. The development of medium and small
power projects (of capacity lower than 30 MW), that are
notconnectedtothenationalelectricitygrid,requiresthe
permission of state and regional governments.
Tax exemptions can be granted to the company by the
Myanmar Investment Commission for periods of three,
fiveorsevenyears,dependingontheplaceofinvestment.
The Economist Intelligence Unit also points out low
government effectiveness and high legal/regulatory, as
well as infrastructure risks.
Special Economic Zones (SEZ)
TheMyanmarGovernmentenactedtheSpecialEconomic
Zone Law in 2014. There are currently three SEZs under
development: Kyauk Phyu in Rakhine State, Dawei in the
Thanintharyi Region and the Thilawa in Yangon Region.
AccordingtoDICA,SEZsmaybe“FreeZones”,“Promotion
Zones” and others. “Free Zones” are deemed to be
situated outside the country and subject to custom duty
and other tax exemptions, while “Promotion Zones” are
based mainly on the domestic market (DICA).
Among others, the law offers the following incentives to
investors (Myanmar Legal, 2018):
• 100% foreign ownership;
• The right to lease land for 50 years with an extension
of 25 years;
• 5-7 years income tax exemption, depending on
whether SEZ defined as a “Free Zone” or “Promotion
Zone”;
• No custom duties in “Free Zones”; relief or
exemptions on imported materials or equipment;
• Some reliefs and exemptions from value-added tax
and commercial tax;
• The right to open foreign currency accounts with
approved banks.
As reported by Myanmar Times (Myanmar Times, 2019),
Thilawa SEZ has attracted US$1.5 billion of foreign
investments to date.
POLITICAL AND SOCIAL CONTEXT
After almost five decades of military regime, Myanmar is
undergoing a period of political liberalization. The first
democratic elections with participation of all opposition
partiestookplacein2012andthenagainin2015.National
League for Democracy (NLD) leader, Aung San Suu Kyi,
became State Counselor (Coface). The next general
elections are scheduled for 2021.
The declared aim of the government to pursue inclusive
economic growth and Myanmar’s Sustainable
Development Targets, however, is affected by the
military conflict with the Rohingya minority in Rakhine
State. There are more than 135 distinct ethnic groups
living in Myanmar. According to the 2014 Census, almost
88% of the population was identifying as Buddhist. The
Rohingya people were historically denied citizenship
status and regarded as illegal immigrants. Since August
2017, more than 700,000 Rohingya have fled the
country, mostly to Bangladesh. The humanitarian crisis
resulted in the EU member countries, the United States
and Australia implementing economic and political
sanctions on Myanmar (Coface). Many international
organizations actively involved in the country have
reconsidered their development policies there.
Myanmar therefore remains among the countries with
high political and business environment risks for
enterprises, as the military continue to dominate
politics and ethnic tensions remain unresolved (Euler
Hermes Global).

FIGURE 8 POLITICAL RISK INDICATORS (SACE)
Average political risk War and civil disturbance risk
Transfer and convertibility risk
Expropriation and breach of contract risk
Southeast Asia
Myanmar
0
20
40
60
80
SOURCE: (SACE) Data (2017) Risk Map.
FIGURE 7 RISK RATINGS
CURRENT
RATING
CURRENT
SCORE
PREVIOUS
RATING
PREVIOUS
SCORE
Overall assessment D 62 D 62
Security risk C 50 C 50
Political stability risk C 60 C 60
Government effectiveness risk E 81 E 81
Legal & regulatory risk E 83 E 83
Macroeconomic risk B 30 B 30
Foreign trade & payments risk D 61 D 61
Financial risk D 67 D 67
Tax policy risk C 44 C 44
Labour market risk D 61 D 61
Infrastructure risk D 80 D 80
NOTE: E=most risky; 100=most risky. The risk ratings model is run once a quarter. SOURCE: The Economist Intelligence Unit 2018.

COUNTRY ENERGY SECTOR SITUATION
Because of poor electricity access, especially in rural
areas of Myanmar, wood, kerosene, candles and diesel
generators are still the main sources of lighting among
the majority of the country’s population.
The government of Myanmar, with the help of the World
Bank, has developed a National Electrification Plan
(NEP, 2015) that calls for universal electricity access by
2030, or 7.2 million new connections. In accordance
with the plan enacted in November 2015, the
government expects to reach 50% electrification in
2020, 75% in 2025 and 100% in 2030. The US$ 400
million loan for the project is provided by the World
Bank, while its realization is carried out by the Ministry
of Electricity and Energy (MOEE) and the Department of
Rural Development (DRD) in the Ministry of Agriculture,
Livestock and Irrigation (MOALI). The plan aims to
facilitate both grid extension and installation of mini-
grid and solar home systems.
Myanmar’s energy mix is dominated by hydro sources
(61%, or 3,221 MW), followed by gas (36%, or 1,919 MW)
and coal (3%, or 120 MW).2
Because of a very high share
of hydropower production, which is very seasonal,
scheduled load shedding is needed, especially during
the dry season. The problem of secure power supply
remains especially acute because most of the produced
electricity is exported to Thailand and China.
The Myanmar Energy Master Plan, introduced in
December 2015 with the help of ADB, provides
projections for long-term future energy demand and
fuel supply mix up to the year 2030. The plan foresees
that by 2030 Myanmar, which is currently—thanks to
large natural gas resources—one of the main energy
suppliers in the region, will become a net importer of
energy. While the plan offers scenarios that could
reduce the country’s dependency on hydro energy
through increased production from coal, the share of
solar and wind in the total energy mix in 2030 is
expected to be very modest at around 1.2%. However,
recent plans of the Ministry of Electricity and Energy
(MOEE) to diversify the country’s power mix raise
optimism for the future of the solar sector in the country.
The ministry has introduced quite ambitious renewable
energy targets – to increase the share of renewables in
electricity production to 8% by 2021 and to 12% by
2025. The MOEE is currently working on a draft of the
new reform (Myanmar Times, 2018).
2 MYANMAR ELECTRICITY MARKET
2 May 2017 estimate, provided by the Ministry of Electricity and Energy
(Ministry of Electricity and Energy, 2017).
FIGURE 9 ELECTRICITY OUTPUT, COMPARISON
0
20,000
40,000
60,000
80,000
100,000
120,000
140,000
160,000
180,000
200,000
TotalElectricityOutput(GWh)
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2014
Vietnam
Thailand
Cambodia
Bangladesh
Myanmar
SOURCE: Sustainable Energy for All.

As reported by the Myanmar Times in June 2018, Yangon
consumes around 1.5 GW of electricity, which is half of
the country’s electricity output, and its demand is
expected to double by 2021-22 (Myanmar Times, 2018).
In order to meet the growing power demand,
investments in the amount of approximately 1 billion
Kyat will be required to develop infrastructure, including
transmission lines and substations. According to the
source, there are also plans to construct 77 66 kV
substations between 2018-19 and 2021-22. The
Government is planning to approach the Asian
Development Bank in order to upgrade several 230 kV
substations across the region.
According to the study on solar resources and solar PV
potential in Myanmar, conducted by the World Bank,
most of the population (75%-85%) lives within a 25-50
km radius of HV power lines, which overall are good
premises for developing medium- and large-scale solar
projects in the country.
3 Peak demand in 2017 was ~3000 MW.
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA),
together with the Ministry of Electric Power (MOEP),
worked on the creation of the National Electricity Master
Plan in 2015. The installed capacity in the country was
projected to rise from 5 GW (2017)3
to around 15 GW by
2030. However, as reported by the MOEE in its more
recent presentation (The Role of Renewable Energy in
Myanmar’s Future Energy Mix, 2017), the plan is currently
being updated. The new estimate of power demand in
2030 is 23.6 GW, which creates a gap of almost 8 GW
necessary to be filled in order to avoid power shortages
in the future. The gap could potentially be met by the
mix of solar and wind, plus biomass energy.
ELECTRICITY INFRASTRUCTURE
Due to the poor electricity infrastructure, Myanmar is
suffering from significant power losses, especially in the
distribution system, which reached between 20.5%-25%
in 2012-2014 (The World Bank Data).
JICA has been actively supporting the development of
the national transmission grid in Myanmar, particularly
carrying out projects in Mandalay, Bago, and Naypyitaw
regions (JICA).
FIGURE 10 DEMAND FORECAST RESULTS
0
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
14,000
16,000
MW
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030
High caseLow case
Year
1,600 1,850 2,055
2,157
2,376
2,617 2,884
3,178
3,503
3,862
4,208
4,585
4,996
5,443
5,930
6,461
7,039
7,668
8,353
9,100
2,248 2,527 2,840
3,192
3,587
4,032
4,531
5,092
5,723
6,431
7,227
8,121
9,125
10,253
11,520
12,944
14,542
3,075 MW
(23.05.2017)
SOURCE: The Ministry of Electricity and Energy, Presentation “The Role of Renewable Energy in Myanmar’s Future Energy Mix”.

2 MYANMAR ELECTRICITY MARKET / CONTINUED
KYAUKPAHTO
KALAW
AUNGTHAPYE
MONYWA
ZAWGYI-1
ZAWGYI-2
PYINOOLWIN
SEDAWGYI
LETPANHLA
MANN
CHAUK
WAZI
KYUNGCHAUNG
PAKOKKU MYINGYAN
NYAUNGBINGYI
MANDALAY
AUNGPINLE
THAPHANSEIK
BHAMO
NGATPYAWDINE
SHWEGU
KYAWSWA
MYANAUNG
SINDE
PYAY
THAYET
TAUNGDWINGYI
PYINMANA
BAGO
ZAUNGTU
SHWE DAUNG
TAUNGOO
BALUCHAUNG-2
BALUCHAUNG-1
THAZI
KINDA
MAGWAY
YWAMA
THAKETA
MAWLAMYINE
PHAAN
THATON
HLAWGA
PATHEIN
YEGYI
HINTHADA
SALE
NYAUNGOO
MYAUNGMYA
AHLONE
THAILAND
LAOS
INDIA
BANGLADESH
CHINA
NATIONAL GRID SYSTEM
MYANMAR
SOURCE: Global Energy Network Institute (GENI).
FIGURE 11 TRANSMISSION, DISTRIBUTION LINES AND SUBSTATIONS (AS OF AUGUST 2014)
VOLTAGE (kV) LENGTH (KM) SUBSTATIONS CAPACITY (MVA)
230 3,156 32 4,105
132 2,189 21 1,248
66 3,003 188 2,421
Total 8,348 241 7,774
SOURCE: Department of Hydropower Implementation Ministry of Electric Power.
LEGEND
Substation
Gas Turbine Power Station
230 kV Transmission Line
Hydro-power Station
Steam Turbine Power Station

OFF-GRID RENEWABLE ENERGY DEMONSTRATION PROJECT
MYANMAR
SOURCE: Myanmar Off-Grid Renewable Energy Demonstration Project funded by ADB (Asian Developemnt Bank).

ACTORS, TARIFFS AND REGULATORY NETWORK
The key regulatory institutions in Myanmar are the
Myanmar Investment Commission, the Directorate of
InvestmentandCompanyAdministrationandtheCentral
BankofMyanmar.Themainregulatorybodyintheenergy
sector is the Ministry of Electricity and Energy (MOEE).
Myanmar has one of the lowest electricity tariffs in the
world. The average power tariff in 2017 was $51/MWh
(69 Kyat/kWh). Residential prices in Myanmar are 35
Kyat/kWh for the first 100 units, 40 Kyat/kWh for the next
100 units, and 50 Kyat/kWh for all units after that.
According to the Myanmar Times, the average cost of
supplying 1 kWh in 2016/17 fiscal year was 96 Kyat,
which means that the government is losing between
59-74 Kyat for every unit sold to residential consumers
(Myanmar Times, 2018).
IPP projects in Myanmar could be implemented on
either joint venture (JV) or build-operate-transfer (BOT)
basis (Myanmar Legal, 2018). Regulatory approvals of
the following institutions are required in order to
develop and implement the project:
• Attorney General’s Office (AG),
• Ministry of Planning and Finance (MOPF),
• Myanmar Investment Commission (MIC).
• Ministry of National Resources and Environmental
Conservation (MONREC).
More than 30 laws govern land management, at least 20
government agencies are involved in land issues, at both
national (Union) and provincial (State) levels. MIC is
responsible for granting land to foreign investors.
NEW DEVELOPMENTS FOR SOLAR POWER
Large-scale PV-projects
According to different sources, Myanmar’s large-scale
solar pipeline is estimated to be between 470 MWp and
1.5 GWp (PV Magazine Global, 2018).
Several PPAs were concluded with the MOEE in 2016.
Among them, the 220 MWp Minbu project, with the first
50 MWp phase expected to be completed in the first
quarter 2019. Thailand-backed Green Earth Power, GEP
(Myanmar) Co. Ltd has signed a 30-year PPA with the
MOEEfor150Kyatperunit(likelymeaning~€8.6ct/kWh).
The US$275 million project is planned to be realized in
three 50 MWp phases and the last 70 MWp phase. Two
Thailand-based construction companies were initially
engaged for the first phase of the project, which in turn
contracted a Chinese state company specialising in New
Energy, CTIEC Ltd. as EPC with its strategic PV partner
WEink Energy Ltd providing EPC management services.
As reported by PwC and the Myanmar Times, Synergy
Business Development Co. Ltd. (SBD) and its foreign
partner have submitted a proposal to the MOEE for the
construction of a 200 MWp solar power plant in Meiktila
Township, Mandalay (PwC Myanmar, 2018).
According to PV Magazine (PV Magazine Global, 2018),
Thailand-based Modern Energy Management (MEM) is
planning to develop a 130 MWp project in Myanmar. The
plant is expected to come online in Q4 2019. No further
details are known so far.
Mini-grid and off-grid solar projects
A large number of international development
organizations, banks and corporations are working on
various rural electrification projects in Myanmar.
2 MYANMAR ELECTRICITY MARKET / CONTINUED
FIGURE 12 LARGE-SCALE PV PROJECTS IN MYANMAR
PROJECT INSTALLED CAPACITY
(MWp)
LOCATION (REGION/STATE) REMARKS
Nabuai and Wandwin 300 Mandalay Region MOA (Memorandum of Association) & PPA
Minbu 220 Mandalay Region MOA & PPA
Shwe Myo 10 Nay Pyi Taw MOU (Memorandum of Understanding)
Sagaing and Mandalay 880 Sagaing and Mandalay region MOU
Thapaysan 100 Nay Pyi Taw MOU
SOURCE: PV Magazine, with reference to Myanmar Ministry of Electricity and Energy.

The German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ)
completed its project “Promoting Rural Electrification
in Myanmar”, which was commissioned by the German
Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and
Development (BMZ). The project, implemented during
2016-2018, also supported NEP and aimed at creating
policy framework and capacity building, especially in
the area of renewable energy-based mini-grids (GIZ).
Pact, a non-profit international organization with the
support of ABB, Chevron and Shell is working on
providing Myanmar’s local communities with solar
home systems and mini-grids (Pact, 2018).
Overall, the power sector accounted for 27.8% of
Foreign Direct Investment in Myanmar during the period
1988-2017 (US20.7 billion)(EuroCham Myanmar, 2017).
The UK has established a £15 million (30 billion Kyat)
fund that will be used until 2020 for carbon reduction
and renewable energies in ASEAN countries, including
Myanmar. The fund’s sources will also be directed on
conducting feasibility studies for wind and solar projects
(Myanmar Times, 2018).
FIGURE 13 PILOT PROJECTS WITH RENEWABLE ENERGY MINI-GRIDS
TOWNSHIP VILLAGE NUMBER OF
HOUSEHOLDS
POPULATION PV CAPACITY
(kW)
BATTERY
CAPACITY
(kWh)
TOTAL COST
(USD)
TYPE
MAGWAY REGION
Thayet Gon Ma Ni 197 931 7.2 57.6 73,350 Stand-alone
Sinbaungwe Kone Thar 270 2,170 8.7 63.3 82,368 Stand-alone
Minbu Pauk Lay Pin 89 336 4.9 57.6 44,100 Diesel hybrid
Yenangyaung Koke Ko Gwa 330 1,654 13.0 92.2 102,300 Stand-alone
Salin Kone Char 143 625 6.5 38.4 50,832 Stand-alone
Pauk Mone Kone 157 836 6.0 46.1 50,856 Stand-alone
MANDALAY REGION
Kyaukse Myin Chi Naing 317 925 10.8 86.4 98,580 Grid ready
Nyaung-U San Kan 200 977 9.8 115.2 75,000 Stand-alone
Kyaukpadaung Kyet Su Taw 103 484 4.9 57.6
87,980
Stand-alone
Taungtha Son Lun 110 654 4.9 57.6 Stand-alone
SAGAING REGION
Sagaing U Aing Kyun 170 569 6.0 46.1
102,770
Stand-alone
Khin-U Yauk Thit Kan 165 668 7.0 61.4 Stand-alone
In the framework of one of its power/infrastructure
development projects in the country, the Asian
Development Bank has installed solar mini-grid systems
in12villageslocatedintheDryZone(Magway,Mandalay
and Sagaing regions), and developed a geospatial plan
for off-grid renewable energy investment opportunities.
80% of installation costs were financed by ADB, the
remaining 20% was contributed by the villagers.
As mentioned in the ADB’s report (Asian Development
Bank, 2017), solar irradiance can go down by as much
as 50% in the rainy season, hence, areas with heavy and
prolonged rainy seasons may be less suitable for solar.
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) also
supports the Myanmar’s National Electrification Plan by
implementing its Lighting Myanmar program in the
country, which focuses on supplying local households
with solar lanterns, solar home systems and potentially
off-grid systems. The project was launched in 2016 and
is planned to be completed in 2022 (Lighting Global).
SOURCE: Developing Renewable Energy Mini-Grids in Myanmar.

3 RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR INTERNATIONAL INVESTORS
Compared to other ASEAN countries like Thailand,
Vietnam, and Indonesia and compared to the vast solar
potential of Myanmar – especially in the central region
wheredemandishigh–theamountofnewconstructions
of solar power plants is expected to be rather small in
Myanmar for the next ten years. Also, in terms of general
business conditions, Myanmar is not yet considered an
attractive country for foreign direct investments.
However, there is strong demand for electricity,
especially in rural areas, which might offer business
opportunities. Frequent power cuts also result in certain
demand for independent power production.
Still, there are no standard terms and conditions for
PPAs, therefore prospective investors should design a
bankable PPA. They should also envisage instruments
to hedge against currency risk, inflation and economic
volatility.
While there is currently no sufficient legal framework for
PV power plants, the government has announced to
issue regulations during 2019. Therefore, it is
recommended for investors to wait for the publication
of these rules before entering the market.
Among European organizations, the German Chamber
of Commerce Abroad (AHK) seems to have the best
insight into Myanmar’s solar PV market, so it might be
helpful to get in touch with them for further information.
FOR LOCAL PUBLIC DECISION-MAKERS
It is most important for Myanmar to re-evaluate the
current plan to increase electricity output mainly by
building coal-fired power stations. A careful analysis will
most likely show that the life-time cost for solar PV
power plants is more economical. In addition, solar
power can effectively counter-balance the electricity
shortage during the dry season, while not occupying too
much grid capacity during the rainy season.
The improvement of framework conditions for doing
business in solar PV would be another important step
to develop Myanmar´s potential. Currently the
prevalence of state-owned enterprises is limiting foreign
investment in the country. Tendering renewable energy
projects with non-discriminatory and transparent
allocation schemes – instead of signing bilateral
agreements – would support project developments and
attract investments.
Tenders are an important tool, since the heavily
subsidized tariffs in Myanmar are a main obstacle for
renewable energy developers to invest in projects which
compete with consumer prices.
It is fundamental to clarify the rules of engagement in
tenders. Tenders should be based on clear rules and
technical parameters on the nature of the projects such as
size, targets, location and timeline, in order to produce the
expectedoutcomesandtoattractparticipants.
The participation of free riders to the calls should be
discouraged: pre-qualification criteria such as bid bonds
in tendering should aim to attract only those actors able
to take responsibility for the projects. Selection criteria
should be designed in a way that a sufficient amount of
companies with experience in renewable energy will
participate in the tender.
The adoption of a PPA in the new regulatory framework
should follow international standards. This type of PPA
includes inflation, exchange rate and default risk of the
sovereign counterparts. Moreover, financial
development institutions should be part of the contract
providing financial guarantees for the counterparts.
The regulatory framework should also clarify and
simplify procedures for land access. Conflicts over land
titles and poorly established property rights are a main
concern for investors. In addition, the rules to get access
to the grid should be clear and transparent.
In general, the enforcement of contracts as well as the
protection of minority investors must be improved. This
is because potential investors might otherwise consider
Myanmar as a high-risk investment, which would cause
higher electricity prices.
FOR LOCAL PRIVATE STAKEHOLDERS
Capacity building and skills should be the focus of
stakeholders working locally to increase Myanmar’s
potential to attract investments in solar PV. Training and
skills could open up opportunities not only in the
operations, but also in local production of materials
appliedinPVprojects,e.g.mountingsystemsandfences.
Increased work opportunities, skills and know-how
transfer would also contribute to support renewable
energies’ deployment politically.
Assolarprojectsadvanceinthecountry,interestedparties
should seek partnerships with experienced counterparts
to ensure a socially sustainable value chain.

FOR DEVELOPMENT FINANCE INSTITUTIONS
The access to credit remains very poor, while state-
owned banks dominate the underdeveloped financial
sector. Therefore, multilateral development finance
institutions such as the World Bank and the Asian
Development Bank, as well as national development
banks such as the German KfW bank, are involved in the
energy sector of Myanmar. Their financial, technical and
governance support currently drives investments in
renewables and even the infrastructure to enable small
as well as utility scale solar power plants. Furthermore,
their presence reassures investors concerned by the
country’s macroeconomic fundamentals and
contributes to share best practices.
Project financing should be established for Myanmar’s
solar PV projects. The local banking sector has very
limited capital to provide financial services for projects.
Therefore, development finance institutions are key
players in Myanmar and should continue to assist the
development of a sustainable market for private
investments.Inthefuturetheyshouldsupportthemarket
with guarantees to attract foreign direct investment.
Development finance institutions’ long-term
commitment to the country contributes to providing
credibility to national policies and their country
strategies are taken into high consideration by
international investors. Technical assistance programs
and other forms of support from international
development organisations are key to improve the
energy access rate in the continent.
Thus, development finance institutions have a central
role to play in easing investment conditions for
renewable energies in Myanmar. Credit enhancement
mechanisms can play a central role in making
renewable electricity projects financially sustainable.
Commercial or sovereign-backed guarantees provide
the security that the energy produced and sold to the
national utility will be paid so that costs can be
recovered over the project’s long lifetime.

4 REFERENCES
Asian Development Bank. Myanmar Off-grid Analytics.
Retrieved February 2019, from http://adb-
myanmar.integration.org/
Asian Development Bank (2017). Developing
Renewable Energy Mini-Grids in Myanmar. online:
https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/institutional
-document/391606/developing-renewable-mini-
grids-myanmar-guidebook.pdf: Asian Development
Bank.
Coface. Economic Analysis - Myanmar. Retrieved
February 2019, from
https://www.cofacecentraleurope.com/Economic-
analysis/Myanmar
DICA. Special Economic Zones. (Directorate of
Investment and Company Administration)
Retrieved February 2019, from
https://dica.gov.mm/en/special-economic-zones
Ease of Doing Business in Myanmar (2018). Explore
Economies - Myanmar. Retrieved February 2019,
from
http://www.doingbusiness.org/en/data/exploreecon
omies/myanmar
Euler Hermes Global (2019). Economic Research.
Country Reports - Myanmar (Burma). Retrieved
February 2019, from
https://www.eulerhermes.com/en_global/economic
-research/country-reports/Myanmar.html
EuroCham Myanmar (2017, December). Energy Guide
2018. Yangon.
Germanwatch (2019). Global Climate Risk Index 2019.
https://www.germanwatch.org/sites/germanwatch.
org/files/Global%20Climate%20Risk%20Index%202
019_2.pdf
GIZ. Promoting Rural Electrification in Myanmar. (D. G.
GmbH, Ed.) Retrieved February 2019, from
https://www.giz.de/en/worldwide/42922.html
IGC, Tim Dobermann (2016). Energy in Myanmar.
International Growth Centre. online: IGC.
INFORM Index for Risk Management (2019). Country
Risk Profile - Myanmar. InfoRM. Retrieved February
2019, from http://www.inform-
index.org/Countries/Country-profiles
International Monetary Fund. Asia and Pacific Dept
(2018). IMF Country Report No. 18/91. IMF: Selected
Issues. Retrieved February 2019, from
https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/CR/Issues/201
8/03/28/Myanmar-Selected-Issues-45764
JICA. Maps of JICA Major Projects. Retrieved February
2019, from
https://libportal.jica.go.jp/library/Data/PlanInOpera
tion-e/SoutheastAsia/030_Myanmar-e.pdf
KPMG (2018). ASEAN Business Guide. Retrieved
February 2019, from The economies of ASEAN and
the opportunities they present:
https://assets.kpmg/content/dam/kpmg/mm/pdf/2
018/06/asean-business-guide-2018.pdf
Lighting Global. Lighting Asia - Myanmar. Retrieved
February 2019, from
https://www.lightingglobal.org/where-we-
work/lighting-asia/myanmar/
Ministry of Electricity and Energy (2017, July). The Role
of Renewable Energy in Myanmar’s Future Energy Mix.
https://mm.boell.org/sites/default/files/uploads/20
17/07/re12.7.pdf
Myanmar Legal (2018, July). Solar PV in Myanmar.
http://www.myanmarlegalservices.com/wp-
content/uploads/pdf/Solar-PV2823325_1.pdf
Myanmar Times (2018, September 19). Renewable
energy law in the works to speed up development.
Myanmar Times. Retrieved February 2019, from
https://www.mmtimes.com/news/renewable-
energy-law-works-speed-development.html
Myanmar Times (2018, May 31). The real cost of
Myanmar’s electricity. Myanmar Times.
https://www.mmtimes.com/news/real-cost-
myanmars-electricity.html
Myanmar Times (2018, November 07). UK to assist
Myanmar with renewable energy projects. Myanmar
Times. Retrieved February 2019, from
https://www.mmtimes.com/news/uk-assist-
myanmar-renewable-energy-projects.html

Suri, M., Cebecauer, T., Suriova, N., Schnierer, B., Betak,
J., Madlenakova, V., . . . Caltik, M. (2017). Solar
Resource and Photovoltaic Power Potential of
Myanmar. Washington, D.C.: World Bank Group.:
Energy Sector Management Assistance Program.
Takeshi Mukawa, W. N. (2018). Project Finance Report
2018 - Myanmar. International Financial Law Review:
MHM Yangon. Retrieved February 2019, from
http://www.mhmjapan.com/en/publications/year/2
018/18278.html
The Heritage Foundation. Index of Economic Freedom -
Country Rankings. Retrieved February 2019, from
https://www.heritage.org/index/ranking
The World Bank Data. Electric power transmission and
distribution losses. Retrieved February 2019, from
https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/EG.ELC.LOSS.ZS
World Bank Group (2018, May). Myanmar Economic
Monitor. Growth Amidst Uncertainty. Retrieved from
http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/11127
1527015535987/pdf/126403-WP-v2-PUBLIC-MEM-
MASTER-clean-with-cover.pdf
Myanmar Times (2018, June 25). Yangon could
consume 3,000 MW of electricity by 2021-22.
https://www.mmtimes.com/news/yangon-could-
consume-3000-mw-electricity-2021-22.html
Myanmar Times (2019, February 05). CBM to publish
market-based reference exchange rate. Myanmar
Times. Retrieved February 2019, from
https://www.mmtimes.com/news/cbm-publish-
market-based-reference-exchange-rate.html
Myanmar Times (2019, January 23). Industrial zones
hampered by poor infrastructure but demand
remains. Myanmar Times. Retrieved February 2019,
from https://www.mmtimes.com/news/industrial-
zones-hampered-poor-infrastructure-demand-
remains.html
NEP (2015, May). Myanmar National Electrification
Project. Retrieved February 2019, from
http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/53767
1468276291341/pdf/SFG1133-RP-P152936-RPF-
Box391468B-PUBLIC-Disclosed-05-29-2015.pdf
Pact (2018, June 26). The next phase of rural
electrification in Myanmar. Retrieved February 2019,
from https://www.pactworld.org/blog/next-phase-
rural-electrification-myanmar
PV Magazine Global (2018, August 29). 130 MW solar
project announced in Myanmar. PV Magazine Global.
Retrieved February 2019, from https://www.pv-
magazine.com/2018/08/29/130-mw-solar-project-
announced-in-myanmar/
PV Magazine Global (2018, January 20). The weekend
read: Myanmar’s solar lifeline. PV Magazine Global.
Retrieved February 2019, from https://www.pv-
magazine.com/2018/01/20/the-weekend-read-
myanmars-solar-lifeline/
PwC Myanmar (2018, November 23). PwC Myanmar
Weekly Business Intelligence. (Issue 136). (L.
PricewaterhouseCoopers Myanmar Co., Ed.)
https://www.pwc.com/mm/en/publications/assets/
newsletters/myanmar-business-intelligence136.pdf
SACE. Country Risk Map - Myanmar. Retrieved February
2019, from https://www.sace.it/en/studies-and-
training/country-risk-map/country-page/myanmar

SolarPower Europe – Leading the Energy Transition
Rue d’Arlon 69-71, 1040 Brussels, Belgium
T +32 2 709 55 20 / F +32 2 725 32 50
info@solarpowereurope.org / www.solarpowereurope.org
“There is huge potential for the development of solar in emerging
markets, where different paths to the sustainable energy transition
are possible: the Task Force will allow members to analyse and
benchmark the accessibility of selected markets, untangle barriers
to investment and engage with local stakeholders”.
Stefano Mantellassi - Eni
Emerging Markets Task Force Chair

6/30/2019 Magwe aims to meet country’s power needs through solar energy | The Myanmar Times
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3. » Magwe aims to meet country’s power needs through solar energy
Magwe aims to meet country’s power needs through solar energy
Khin Su Wai 24 May 2019
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years
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A worker walks past solar photovoltaic cells at a solar power plant in western Ukraine. Photo - EPA
The biggest solar power plant in the country will start producing an estimated 20 megawatts of electricity next week, a
senior official of the Magwe regional government said.
The solar plant, on 800 acres of land between Zee Ain and Lay Pin villages on the Minbu-Ann road, will distribute the 20MW
via the Mann sub-power station in Minbu township.
The solar project – which was approved in March 2016 during the government of president U Thein Sein and began
construction in February 2018 – is part of the government’s renewable energy programme.
A study is being carried out in Chauk, Mindon and Minhla townships to build a wind power station, which is expected to be
operational by 2021. The power it produces will be distributed across the country via the national grid.
These are the biggest renewable energy projects in Myanmar. Up to 170MW will be produced by solar power and more
than 260 MW by wind power.
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The solar energy project is being carried out with Green Earth Power (Myanmar) Co. The wind energy project is being
carried out under an April 2017 agreement with Singapore’s Infra Capital Myanmar-ReEx Co. The contract was extended in
2018.
“Solar energy costs around K190 per unit, but it cannot be changed as the contract was signed under the previous
government,” said Magwe Regional Minister of Planning, Finance and Development U Zaw Min. “The next step is to re-
negotiate the price. As wind energy only became feasible recently, we can negotiate the price.
Energy production of over 30MW needs the approval of the government. Below 30MW, and it is up to regional and state
governments.
Previously, experts estimated that if the production of 3300MW in 2018 is increased by 15 percent, it would be enough to
cover the dry season. But as the increase was only 130MW, the blackouts continue.
To meet energy demand, the Ministry of Electricity and Energy asked the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (Assembly of the Union) to
approve a loan from France for the maintenance costs of hydropower plants.
About 70pc of Myanmar’s energy production comes from hydropower, 28pc is from natural gas and 2pc from coal,
according to the ministry.
Almost half of the electricity generated in Myanmar is consumed by Yangon Region, while Mandalay uses 18pc. The
government has set a goal of electrification for the whole country by 2030.
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6/30/2019 Country’s first solar power plant to start operations in Magwe | The Myanmar Times
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3. » Country’s first solar power plant to start operations in Magwe
Country’s first solar power plant to start operations in Magwe
Nyein Zaw Lin 15 Oct 2018
The country’s first solar power plant will start operating in November, U Maung Maung Kyaw, chief engineer of the Electric
Supply Enterprise, said.
The power plant, in Minbu township, Magwe Region, is expected to produce 40 megawatts initially but will produce 170MW
once fully operational, according to U Maung Maung Kyaw.
“Because this is our first project, we have to carefully monitor the system for weaknesses, correct these, and then we will
produce more than 40MW,” he said.
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The Electricity and Energy Ministry signed a public-private partnership agreement with the companies to set up plants that
produce at least 150MW each in Mandalay’s Wundwin and Myingyan townships.
The ministry also signed agreements with private companies to set up more power plants in Sagaing, Mandalay and Nay
Pyi Taw that can produce a combined total of 990 MW when fully operational.
It hopes to supply 8 percent of the country’s electricity through renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power, by
2020. By 2025, it expects that share to rise to 12pc.
U Maung Maung Kyaw said they will slowly increase solar and wind power depending on the national grid’s capacity for
renewable energy.
In February, the ministry signed a technical cooperation agreement with Denmark related to wind energy. It also signed a
memorandum of understanding with four companies on wind energy projects that can produce 6478MW.
Arrangements are also being made for a wind energy project in Magwe that can produce around 200MW, said the project
manager of Infra Capital Myanmar-ReXe, a private renewable energy firm.
An agreement has been signed with the regional government to conduct feasibility studies that are expected to be finished
soon. The project is expected to start in 2019 and be completed in early 2021.
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6/30/2019 Myanmar’s First Solar Power Plant Joins National Grid
https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/myanmars-first-solar-power-plant-joins-national-grid.html 1/7
Burma
Myanmar’s First Solar Power
Plant Joins National Grid

By THE IRRAWADDY 28 June 2019
YANGON—An opening ceremony Thursday marked the completion of the first phase of
electricity generation from Myanmar’s first solar power plant, which has been added to
the national grid to supplement the country’s power needs.
Located in Minbu Township, in upper Myanmar’s Magwe Region, the Minbu Solar Power
Plant was developed by Green Earth Power (Myanmar) under a build-operate-transfer
(BOT) contract. It will have a total capacity of 170MW and produce 350 million kWh
(kilowatt hours) per annum, electrifying about 210,000 households, according to a
government announcement.
Each of the first three stages of construction will add 40MW of power generation
capabilities while the fourth and final stage will add 50MW. With the first stage
complete, the plant is now capable of producing up to 40MW of power.
State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi attended the opening ceremony, where she
said that, despite several of solar power’s drawbacks—its dependence on
environmental conditions, requirement for large tracts of land and high cost of
electricity and battery storage—it has many advantages, including low maintenance
costs, reduced levels of environment-harming emissions and increased technological
development for the country.
“While hydropower stations with long construction periods were under construction,
solar power stations with short construction periods, like this one, will be constructed—
after careful consideration—to provide electricity,” she said.
 An aerial view of Minbu Solar Power Plant. / Ministry of Electricity and Energy

Currently, only one-third of the country’s 60 million people are connected to the
electrical grid and cities are experiencing frequent blackouts.
The government has vowed to roll out electricity coverage to 50 percent of the
population by December this year and 100 percent by 2030.
The World Bank predicts that, as Myanmar’s economy grows, electricity consumption
will increase by 11 percent a year until 2030, meaning the government will need to triple
its power generation. The bank also predicts that Myanmar’s electricity demand will
reach 8.6 gigawatts (GW) by 2025 and 12.6 GW by 2030.
Current electricity production is just 3.6GW.
In order to meet the growing demand, the government will need to invest US$2 billion
a year, the World Bank estimates.
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6/30/2019 American Firm to Design SEA’s Largest Solar Plant in Magway | Myanmar Business Today
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American Firm to Design SEA’s Largest Solar Plant in Magway
Author: Aye Myat | 19 Oct 2015
| Vol 3 Issue 41
Share 9
Black & Veatch
Lopburi 55MW Solar Project that Black & Veatch worked on in Thailand.
TweetLike 1

6/30/2019 American Firm to Design SEA’s Largest Solar Plant in Magway | Myanmar Business Today
https://www.mmbiztoday.com/articles/american-firm-design-sea-s-largest-solar-plant-magway 2/7
Kansas-based infrastructure development firm Black & Veatch has been appointed by Green Earth Power (Thailand) to
provide design and consultancy services to build a 220-megawatts (MW) solar power plant in Myanmar.
The construction of the project, billed as the largest solar power plant in Southeast Asia, is set to begin in the first quarter
of 2016.
In October last year, Bangkok-based Green Earth Power signed a memorandum of agreement with the Ministry of Electric
Power (MOEP) to develop the plant in Minbu, Magway region.
The project is on a 344-hectare site 200 kilometres west of Naypyitaw. The plant is expected to be built in four phases over
30 months with a total investment of $350 million.
“Electricity is an urgent priority in Myanmar and has serious implications on economic and social progress. As solar facilities
can be built rapidly, it is an excellent alternative to quickly add power to the grid and ensure meaningful impacts on quality
of life,” said Ric O’Connell, International Renewable Energy Director at Black & Veatch.
As more than 70 percent of Myanmar’s population has no access to electricity of any form, the facility is set to provide a
boost to local communities and industries.
“Solar energy is the fastest growing form of energy globally and is an excellent solution that provides an alternative to
quickly add power to the Myanmar power grid. Solar energy, together with a diversified power generation portfolio, can
play an important role in supporting the country’s economic and social progress,” a Black & Veatch spokesperson told
Myanmar Business Today via email.
Backed by experiences such as the Lopburi 55MW solar farm in Thailand, Black & Veatch’s scope will be primarily executed
by specialised resources based in Bangkok, the company said.
Black & Veatch (as Binnie and Partners) has a history of working in Myanmar that dates back to a water study conducted in
1912 and developing infrastructure such as the Rangoon Pegu Yomas Water Scheme, including Gyobu dam between 1935
and 1941.
The company said it expects many Asian countries to lead the next wave of renewable energy growth. According to a World
Bank report, Asia’s performance on renewable energy is strong. Global consumption grew by 4 percent per annum from
2010 to 2012, in Asia the growth was almost twice as fast at close to 8 percent.
“The plant supports the Myanmar government’s aim to increase electricity production from the present 2,500MW to
30,000MW by 2030. Drawing on our deep experience in renewable energy, power generation, water and oil and gas, we
are well positioned to support the goal and bring in the full depth and breadth of our regional expertise,” said Pitak
Wangvarangkoon, who was recently appointed as the general manager of Black & Veatch’s business in Myanmar.
Black & Veatch (BV) has also recently opened a local office in Yangon to coordinate its pursuits in Myanmar.
“With the opening of a local office in Yangon, Black & Veatch is focused on building relationships with clients and pursuing
opportunities in the country,” the BV spokesperson said.

6/30/2019 New $480-Million Solar Power Project Planned for Myanmar | Myanmar Business Today
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New $480-Million Solar Power Project Planned for Myanmar
Author: Krista Hughes | 01 Sep 2014
| Vol 2 Issue 35
Share 2
US investors will help finance a $480 million solar power project in Myanmar's northeastern Mandalay region, which will
ultimately provide up to 12 percent of the country's power generation, the US Trade Representative and an investment
manager said .
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6/30/2019 New $480-Million Solar Power Project Planned for Myanmar | Myanmar Business Today
https://www.mmbiztoday.com/articles/new-480-million-solar-power-project-planned-myanmar 2/7
Under an agreement between US-based ACO Investment Group and the Ministry of Electric Power, two 150-megawatt solar
plants are due to be built by 2016, most likely in the Myingyan and Meiktila districts.
ACO Investment Managing Director Hari Achuthan said the group had secured interest from institutional investors in the
equity component of the deal, worth about $150 million. It was in talks with development finance institutions about debt to
cover the balance, he told reporters.
ACO Investment expected the project to create 400 construction jobs and 100 permanent jobs at the plants, one of which
would help provide power to develop the Myotha Industrial Zone.
US Trade Representative Michael Froman said the project marked one of the biggest U.S. investments in the country also
known as Burma, which have already totaled more than $600 million since sanctions were lifted.
The United States has gradually lifted sanctions to encourage political and economic reforms since the military government
that ran Myanmar for five decades stepped aside in 2011.
Froman said inverters, used to convert the current from solar panels into a current that can be fed into an electrical grid,
and some solar panels used in the project will be made in the United States.
Companies have not yet been chosen for the work, Achuthan said.
The United States also signed an agreement to work with Myanmar to strengthen labor rights and improve labor
conditions.
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6/30/2019 Minbu 220MW – META Corporation
metacorporation.co.th/works/minbu-project-01/ 1/3
MINBU 220MW
SOLAR POWER PLANT
Project Company: GEP (Myanmar) Co., Ltd.
Location: Minbu, Magway region, Myanmar
Area: 3,380,000 sq.m.
Installed Capacity: 220 MWDC
Annual Production: 350,000,000 kWh
COD: Phase I expected to COD within Q1/2019
Installation Type: Fixed Structure Jetion Modules SMA Inverter
Role: EPC Developer & Owner
Project Status: Under construction
(HTTP://METACORPORATION.CO.TH/)
(http://metacorporation.co.th/works/minbu-project-01/)
(http://metacorporation.co.th/th/works/minbu-project-01/)
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Roadmap
The Minbu Solar Power Plant will be built over four phases, with a total installed capacity of 220MWDC and is
considered to be a mega solar power plant. The project will be constructed on over 836 acres which is
equivalent to 528 football stadiums making this to be the largest power plant in the ASEAN region. When
complete, there will be a total of 700,000 solar panels all laid out across this massive site, being able to power
over 200,000 households. Being designed as a world class power plant, only the nest of the equipment and the
most advanced of the technologies shall be used in the Minbu Solar Power Plant.
Fact Sheet

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Electricity generation to supply power over 200,000 households
Go Bigger
One of the largest of solar power plant in Southeast Asia with land area as large as 528 football stadiums
Great Supporter
Promote renewable energy source in Myanmar of up to 30% by 2030 (support COP-21 Paris Agreement)
Clean Energy
CO2 greenhouse emission reduction over 570 million lbs./ year, or equivalent to planting 6.75 million trees
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International Journal of Renewable Energy, Vol. 10, No. 1, January - June 2015
1
Renewable energy potential and its utilization for rural electrification in
Myanmar
Soe Moe Aunga
* and Prapita Thanarakb
a
P.hD Candidate, School of Renewable Energy Technology, Naresuan University,
Phitsanulok 65000, Thailand
b
School of Renewable Energy Technology, Naresuan University,
Phitsanulok 65000, Thailand
Tel:+66 5596 3180 Fax +66 5596 3182
*Corresponding author: soemoeaung01@gmail.com
Abstract
Electricity plays an important role in enhancing the socio-economic development of rural and
remote population. Inadequate supply of electricity in rural areas is a significant barrier to
development and exacerbates poverty in developing countries where the problem is most profound.
1.4 billion people around the world virtually live in darkness during night times. Sustainable energy is
a possible solution to meet the electricity demand of consumers generally, and disadvantaged rural
consumers particularly.
Of more particular interest for the current study, Myanmar has the lowest level of energy
access in Asia with less than 10% of the country’s population having access to electricity. Myanmar,
however, is richly endowed with renewable energy resources. Utilization of these renewable energy
resources for rural electrification is at a very early stage of development for various reasons, including
technology deficiency, high initial investment cost and, more particularly, significant physical
difficulty in connecting rural communities to the national grid.
In this paper, the energy producing potential of renewable energy resources such as solar,
wind, hydropower and bio-energy in rural electrification have been evaluated. Electricity generation
from renewable energy resources has been found to be the most appropriate alternative energy source
for the rural electrification process.
Keywords: Renewable energy, rural electrification, policy, myanmar
1. Introduction
The Republic of the Union of Myanmar is geographically a tropical and near tropical country
with an abundance of solar radiation all year round, and the country is also heavily forested. Myanmar
has a long coastal strip of over 2,008 km. Myanmar is a developing country with a population of
about 60 million. The gap of the electrification level between urban and rural areas is very large.
About 75% of the total population lives in remote areas and the level of rural electrification is
significantly lower than urban areas [1]. Of a total of 62,218 villages in the whole country, about
45,258 villages lack electricity [2]. About 14,159 villages have off-grid power. Whilst Myanmar does
have a national power grid, distributing electricity generated by use of oil, gas and coal (with which
Myanmar is also well endowed) and hydroelectric power, the grid only supplies 20% to 25% of the
population currently, mostly in urban areas. Nearly 90% of the country’s rural population does not
have access to the grid and must rely on off-grid electricity sources. That is, rural electrification is
provided by the grid to only 2,765 villages. About 88% of power consumers in Myanmar rely on
wood and other biomass for cooking and lighting [3]. As well, the national grid electricity capacity is
unable to meet future demand especially due to 2.25% annual growth rate of population. All of this
leaves the rural dwellers as the most vulnerable without power.
Most areas of the country are covered by abundant and often ‘impenetrable’ forest, and
almost 50% of the country has mountainous and rugged terrain. Extending the current grid system to
rural areas would inevitably have a negative effect on the environment. The mountainous terrain is a
major barrier to development, and this would be expensive in the extreme. As well, even if the grid

SOLAR POWER IN MYANMAR 2019

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