Myanmar has utilised Japanese know-how to open its first biomass gasification power plant in its capital city Nay Pyi Taw.
The rice husk gasification power plant was developed over five months by a Japanese consortium led by Yanmar Co. The group also includes Chiyoda & Public Works Co, Chiyoda System Technologies Corp and Kanso Co.
The US$4.7 million undertaking is one part of the Integrated Rice Complex Project being developed throughout the country by Myanmar Agribusiness Public Corp, a private business established in 2012 to invest in the country’s agricultural and agro-based industries.
Full operations at the plant began on March 23 after an opening ceremony in Nay Pyi Taw, attended by Myanmar’s ranking government officials, including Vice President Henry Van Thio.
Chit Khaing, chair of Myanmar Agribusiness, known as MAPCO, said the plant has a 0.5-megawatt generation capacity and its power output will be used in the operation of rice mills, which are located next to the plant.
“As we use the power generated from the rice husk, we will be able to reduce our electricity consumption from the national power grid,” he said, adding that the company also expects to electrify five to 10 neighbouring villages with the surplus power.
The chairman said MAPCO’s second rice husk plant, which has a generating capacity of 2.2 MW, will be opened in the delta region south and west of Yangon on May 1 and the third with 1.6 MW output is set to open in the region in 2018.
Aung Thu, minister for agriculture, livestock and irrigation, said establishing waste-to-energy technology is beneficial for both the energy and environmental conservation sectors of Myanmar, where only 30% of the population is connected to the electricity grid, according to World Bank statistics released in 2015.
Yanmar also plans to expand its innovative low-carbon emission technology to other countries and estimates that 15 rice mills in Myanmar will adopt the system by 2020 and 30 sites by 2030.
Source:Bangkok Post
