REPRESENTATIVES of the Ayeyawady Region government and the Thailand-based Won Toll Co have held talks over the establishment of a US$100 million solar power facility, which would have the capacity to provide 300 megawatts of electricity per year.
During the talks, which were held on 20 May, it was planned that a solar power project would be built on over 1,500 acres of land that would allow for the total power volume to be ready for use within 12 months.
The plan is for the electricity to be distributed to industrial zones in Ayeyawady and Yangon regions.
“We’ve yet to set a price per unit of electricity that will be produced [by the solar facility]. That said, engine oil costs to power the production of electricity will be much alleviated; it will be an attractive price for investors. We’ve also planned to distribute [power] in accordance with a policy of pricing that is acceptable to customers,” explained U Kunn Zaw Htun, chair of Won Toll Co.
According to staff of the company, due diligence will be exercised to mitigate scandals in the confiscation of land for the construction of the project, while the project will have a mutual benefit for the company as well as for those within the country to whom it will provide electricity.
The facility will have the capacity to produce between 50 to 100 megawatts of electricity during the first six months of the project implementation, with 200 to 250 megawatts to be produced during the second six months, according to Won Toll Co.
However, the Ayeyawady Region Department of Electricity, Industry and Communications has announced that no agreements have yet been made between the government and Won Toll Co, with talks only held after it was announced that the Won Toll Co applied to carry out studies for the potential implementation of a solar power facility within the region.
“It’s said that solar power is being used in neighbouring countries, but there’s a need to consider their political contexts. I also believe preliminary studies should be conducted in regions that receive heavy rainfall, where solar panelling has been earmarked for,” said U Myint Aung of Beautiful Land, an environmental conservation group.
Myanmar’s electricity consumption requirements annually rise by fifteen percent, while according to a recently published report, the entire country currently needs approximately 2,700 megawatts of electricity per year to meet demand.
Source: Myitmakha News Agency
