Yangon Region will need more power this year, according to Dr Htun Naing, deputy minister for electricity and energy.
He asked Parliament on March 13 for Ks30 billion (US$22 million) to purchase a generator of 25 megawatt capacity.
Yangon may need 200 more megawatts, since Ywama power plant can increase production up to 75 megawatts and the proposed generator may produce 25 megawatts.
The country’s commercial centre used 1,250 megawatts of power last fiscal year, according to Yangon Electricity Supply Corporation (YESC).
The deputy minister explained that gas-fuelled power plants get worn-out by time and need upgrading and maintenance. Since major upgrades can require a huge budget, the government should order a new electricity generator, he said.
The proposed generator can operate on natural gas and diesel and will probably take over a month to reach Yangon’s ports, said the deputy minister. Acquiring the generator through government-to-government negotiations might cut the delay that could happen in inviting tenders, he added.
“If Parliament approves, the preparation of contracts can be finished in seven days. It may take about 30 days to ship the generator here to Yangon. Assembly job may take 15 days. So the generator will be ready in 45 days after signing the contracts.”
He added that the generator can be disassembled and reassembled easily which makes it convenient to power an area that needs electricity urgently and will operate five hours a day.
It can consume 10,445 cubic metres of gas and 7,488 metres of diesel for one hour and the YESC has about 1 million gallons of diesel, said the deputy minister.
Source: Eleven Myanmar
