Electrical industry of burma/myanmar

Additional references
Data summary: Yangon Industrial,

For other electric power projects under planning by Htoo Trading Co see: ‘Offical visit gives impetus to Upper Sedawgyi dam project’ and ‘Htoo Trading to build Htakha hydropower project on B.O.T. basis’.

NLM, 03/06/11. http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs11/NLM2011-06-03.pdf

Pres Cao Peixi and V-Ps Ma Jing and Sun Zhiyong of China Huaneng Group from the PRC called on EPM-1 Zaw Min, at the minister's office, on June 2. They discussed cooperation in electric power projects.

NLM, 06/02/11. http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs11/NLM2011-02-06.pdf

Mining Enterprise No-3 and Htoo International Industries Co Ltd signed a PSC contract for mass production of coal in the Theitchauk and Labinchaung areas of Kalewa township. The contract was signed by MD Win Htein ME-3 and V-P U Thiha of Htoo Co in the presence of the mines minister and personnel of the Myanmar Investment Commission.

[Compiler’s note: Thitchauk is located about four miles (7 km) west of Kalewa on the north bank of the Myittha river. Coal has been mined commercially in underground pits there since the middle fifties but never in large quantities. Currently, production is about 15,000 tonnes per year. Reserves have been estimated at approximately 87 million tonnes, but proven reserves are only about 5 million tonnes with another 18 million classed as 'probable' and the rest as 'possible'. Shafts at the mine go down as deep as 1,800 feet. Japan's Chiyoda company carried out explorations to test the reserves about ten years ago and an Australian company, McElroy Bryan Geological Services, also explored the resource in the past. Analysis of the Kalewa coal shows that it has an average calorific value of about 11,720 Btu/lb, not exceptional but good enough for use in thermal power plants. According to a World Bank study carried out in the mid-eighties, coal mined at Kalewa was barged 280km down the Chindwin to Monywa from where it was shipped by rail another 750km to Yangon by the government's ME-3, the present operator of the mine. But Kalewa coal is highly friable, crumbling easily, and not conducive to shipment over long distances and to being shifted from one means of transport to another. Labin creek (Labinchaung) rises in mountainous terrain immediately to the south of Thitchauk.
NLM, 07/03/10. http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs08/NLM2010-03-07.pdf

The Special Projects Implementation Committee held coordination meeting (1/2010) at the Operations Meeting Room of the office of the Commander-in-Chief (Army) in Nay Pyi Daw of 05/03/10. . . . At the meeting, EPM-1 Zaw Min reported on matters related to five joint projects to be implemented jointly by EPM No 1 with the investment of local entrepreneurs . . . [including] a coal-fired power plant project in Yangon division to generate 270 megawatts. . . . Moreover, plans are under coordination to build two 540-megawatt coal-fired power plants in Yangon.

Myanmar Times, 28/02/10 (Vol 26: 511). http://mmtimes.com/2010/business/511/b51105.html

Huaneng Lancang River Hydropower Co, Ltd of China, will assist Htoo Trading and EPM No 1 in setting up a coal power plant to meet Yangon’s electricity needs. Construction work, which is expected to last two years, will begin in 2010, a Htoo Trading official was quoted as saying by The Yangon Times on February 18. No details were provided on the power generating capacity of the plant. Yangon’s electricity consumption is more than 300MW but actual demand is approximately double that figure, the report said.

NLM, 14/02/10. http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs08/NLM2010-02-14.pdf

An MoU on the implementation of a coal-fired thermal power plant in Yangon was signed by the Dept of Hydro Power Planningof EPM No 1, the Htoo Group and the Huaneng Lancang River Hydropower Co Ltd of the PRC at the meeting hall of the Ministry in Nay Pyi Taw on 11/02/10. EPM No 1 Zaw Min, Chairman Teza of the Htoo Group and President Yuan Xianghua of Huaneng Lancang River Hydropower Co spoke on the occasion. Afterwards, director-general U Gyi Soe of the Hydro Power Planning Dept, U Teza and the president of of Huaneng Lancang River Hydropower Co signed the MoUs and exchanged documents.

Xinhua, 05/01/10. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2010-01/05/content_12757356.htm

Myanmar is encouraging private companies to invest in hydropower projects to share the government's efforts in fulfilling the country's growing electric power demand. Recently, the Myanmar authorities granted one more company to implement hydropower projects under a build, operate and transfer (BOT) system, according to EPM-1. Under an MoU reached on 29/12/09 between the ministry and Htoo Trading Co, the private company will implement two hydropower projects of Upper Hsedawgyi and Thaka, for the first time. In November last year [2009 or 2008?], two other local private companies -- the Future Power Co and the Min Anawyahtar Co Group -- had also been granted to implement the Upper Beluchaung and Saidin hydropower projects under the same system.

Dore, John and Yu Xiaogang, Yunnan Hydropower Expansion, March, 2004. See especially pp 20-21. http://www.mpowernet.org/download_pubdoc.php?doc=2586

Yunnan Huaneng Lancang River Hydropower Company Ltd (YHLHC) was one of five major generating companies formed when the PRC’s State Power Corp was broken up at the end of 2002 and the SPC’s assets were transferred to five independent electricity generating, two transmission and four consultant/ construction companies. YHLHC became the dominant actor in the operation and development of the hydropower resources of the Lancang (Mekhong) and upper Jinsha (Yangtse) rivers in Yunnan, having acquired the already constructed Manwan and Dachosasan dams and power plants on the Lancang and the rights to develop six others including the 4200-MW Xiaowan dam. By February 2003, the shareholders in YHLHC were Huaneng Power International (HPI) (56%), Yunnan Development Investment Company (31.4%) and Yunnan Hongta Investment (12.4%). HPI, originally the largest independent power producer in the PRC, was listed on the New York exchange shortly after incorporation in 1994 and on the Hong Kong exchange in 1998. According to an article in the China Daily (24/09/03), Li Xioapeng, chairman of the Huaneng Group, wants Huaneng to become the world’s leading electricity producer, aiming to double its generating capacity by 2010 to 60,000 megawatts, and make it into the Fortune 500 list of the world’s largest companies. To fund the Xiaowan dam alone, YHLHC has been able to borrow over US$ 3 billion from three Chinese banks. For more on YHLHC operations in Myanmar, see 'China's first BOT hydropower project in Myanmar revs up'

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BIOGAS-FUELED GENERATING SYSTEM AT BAPTIST AGRI-TRAINING FARM

EchoAsia Forum, 15/03/10. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2AP5PnSo1c

http://sustainabilityquest.blogspot.com/2010/03/biogas-powered-electrical-generator-in.html
This is a hands-on, two-minute video demonstrating the operation of a small biogas-fueled electric generating system at a church-run agricultural training centre near Yangon. The setting is the generating shed at the farm and the presentation by local staff members takes the viewer through the various steps of production and storage of the gas to its use in fueling a crank-started motor.. It’s not always easy to understand the explanation provided by the commentator because of the heavily accented English, but the main steps in the process are clear enough.
The accompanying blog provides additional information. The biogas is brewed from wastes produced by several hogs on the farm, stored in a tank shown on the video and piped to a three-kilowatt generator, also shown on the video. Each day, enough biogas is produced to run the generator for 45 minutes in the morning and another 45 minutes in the evening. The generator powers lights as well as an electric pump that extracts water from the center's well for storage in an elevated tank. The stored water flows by gravity to spigots throughout the farm.
Saw Hei Moo, who directs the project, estimates that the biogas system cost about $350 with the generator running around $300. An additional $100 was spent on piping, cylinders and other essentials. (Compiler’s note: The expenses listed don’t seem to include the digester or the gas storage tank and the wiring needed to distribute the electricity to the pump and training centre.
Other videos available on the same YouTube site provide additional useful information about locally operated biogas systems in rural and semi-urban settings in south Asia.
Additional references

See below: ‘Biogas power plants supply electricity to rural areas (Myanmar Times: 16/08/04)

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SPECIAL PROJECTS COMMITTEE BRIEFED ON ELECTRIC POWER PLANS

NLM, 07/03/10. http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs08/NLM2010-03-07.pdf

The Special Projects Implementation Committee held a co-ordination meeting (1/2010) at the Operations Meeting Room of the office of the Commander-in-Chief (Army) in Nay Pyi Daw on 05/03/10. . . .
At the meeting, EPM-1 Zaw Min reported on matters related to five joint projects to be implemented with the investment of local entrepreneurs and seven joint projects with foreign companies. The Ministry of Electric Power No. 1 will jointly implement the five projects with the investment of local national entrepreneurs. They are: the Upper Biluchaung hydropower project in Shan State South to generate 29 megawatts, the Htakha hydropower project in Kachin State to generate 6 megawatts, the Anyaphya hydropower project in Taninthayi division to generate 9 megawatts, the Yangon coal-fired power plant project in Yangon division to generate 270 megawatts and the Kawthoung coal-fired power plant project in Taninthayi division to generate 6 megawatts.
Seven projects to be implemented jointly with the investment of foreign companies include: the Naungpha/ Mantawng hydropower project in Shan State North to generate 1200 megawatts, the Ywathit hydropower project in Kayah State to generate 600 megawatts, the Namtabat hydropower project in Kayah State to generate 110 megawatts, the Nampun hydropower project in Kayah State to generate 130 megawatts, the Nawchankha hydropower project in Kachin State to generate 1055 megawatts, the Namloi hydropower project in Shan State East to generate 452 megawatts and the Namkha hydropower project in Shan State East to generate 200 megawatts. On completion of the 12 projects, electricity will be supplied to the national grid and to local [grids connected to the national] grid.
The Electric Power Ministry No 1 currently has [19 other] hydro electric generation projects that involve investment by foreign companies under planning and development. One of them, the Shweli-1 project that generates 600 megawatts, has already been completed. The remaining projects are as follows: (1) Shweli-2 - 640 megawatts, (2) Ayeyawady Myitson - 4100 megawatts; (3) Yinan - 1200 megawatts; (4) Khaunglanphu - 2700 megawatts; (5) Phizaw 2000 – megawatts; (6) Wuhsauk -1800 megawatts; (7) Chipwe - 2800 megawatts; (8) Chipwenge - 99 megawatts; (9) Laikzar - 1900 megawatts; (10) Tarpein-1 - 240 megawatts

(11) Tarpein-2 - 168 megawatts; (12) Laymyo - 500 megawatts; (13) Htamanthi - 1200 megawatts; (14) Shwesayay - 660 megawatts (15) Upper Thanlwin (Kunglong) - 1400 megawatts; (16) Tarhsan - 7110 megawatts; (17) Hatgyi - 1360 megawatts; (18) Taninthayi 600 megawatts

Moreover, plans are under coordination to build two 540-megawatt coal-fired power plants in Yangon. It is estimated that a total of 27 projects to be implemented with US$ 38,584 million foreign investment will have 35,364 megawatts generating capacity. After the Special Projects Implementation Committee has given permissions, nine hydropower projects have been completed and 36 projects are under implementation.
Afterwards, EPM-2 Khin Maung Myint submitted reports on the renovation of nine national grids, 10 main power station projects and the planned major repair of power plants. Among the lines connected to the national grid the Ministry of Electric Power No 2 is undertaking are the installation of the 18-mile-long Panlon -Namhsam 66-KV power grid, the 3-mile-long power line from the Kyaukpahto-Shwegu- Bhamo 66-KV power grid to the Naba sub-power station, the 9.5-mile-long 66-KV power line from the Kyunchaung-Pakokku 66- KV power line (near Myitchay) to Kanma, the 34-mile-long Lashio-Hsenwi 66-KV power grid, the 15-mile- long Hlinethaya- Ahlon 230-KV twin-bundle, single-circuit power grid, the 0.9-mile-long Hline river crossing (Ahlon) 230-KV twin-bundle, single-circuit power grid, the 60-mile long Thaton-Mawlamyine twin-bundle, single-circuit power grid, the 40-mile-long Naba-Mohnyin 66-KV power line and the 55-mile-long Mohnyin- Mogaung 66-KV power line. f them, Panlon- Namhsam Power Line Project has been completed, three [others] are under implementation and plans are under way to implement the other five.
Among the projects to build or upgrade main power stations are: the Namhsam 66/11-KV, 5-MVA power station; the Naba 66/33/11-KV, 10-MVA power station; the Kanma 66/11-KV, 5-MVA power station; the Hsenwi 66/33-KV, 10-MVA power station; the extension of the substation bay at the Hlinethaya power station, the Ahlon 230/33-KV, 2x100-MVA main power station; the extension of the 230-KV switch bay at the Thaton power plant, the Mawlamyine 230/66/11-KV, 2x50-MVA power station; the Mohnyin 66/11-KV, 5-MVA power station and the Mogaung 66/11-KV, 5-MVA power station. The Namhsam power station project has been completed, and the power stations in Naba, Kanma and Hsenwi are currently under construction.
The power plants to undergo major repairs are No 3 turbine of the Ywama power plant, the No 1 turbine of the Ahlon power plant, the Hlawga recycle steam turbine, the Ahlon recycle steam turbine, the Thakayta recycle steam turbine, the Hlawga power plant, the Thakayta power plant, the No 3 turbine at the Kyunchaung power plant, the Shwedaung power plant, the Myanaung power plant, the steam turbine at the Mawlamyine power plant and the Thaton power plant.
Additional references
See below: ‘Plentiful water resources to generate electricity’ (NLM: 31/12/09)

‘Inventory of generating plants, transmission grids, projects’ (NLM: 30/07/06)

'National update on electric power plants' (NLM: 18-22/01/06)

'State’s electric power projects' (NLM: 25-27/04/05)

'Than Shwe on key role of electricity in national development' (NLM: 28/04/04)

'Formation of work committee for electric power development' (NLM: 01/04/04)

‘Annex 1: National high-voltage grid system and maps’

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ELECTRIC-POWERED VEHICLES TO BE PRODUCED IN YANGON

NLM, 06/03/10. http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs08/NLM2010-03-06.pdf

Minister for Industry No 2 Soe Thein reports to the Special Projects Implementation Committee that the ministry will launch an electric vehicle project that will produce one-ton, 1.5-ton and two-ton electric vehicles in Yangon. It will target production of 200 units a year. The vehicles will be designed for use in factories, workshops, airports and hospitals.
Additional references
Perspectives, NLM, 25/02/11. Excerpt. http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs11/NLM2011-02-25.pdf

Mandalay Industrial Zone-1 is manufacturing many light trucks, jeeps and zone jeeps. An electric car for family use manufactured by the industrial zone has a maximum speed of 60 miles per hour, and more tests have to be conducted to extend mileage.

NLM, 25/07/10. http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs09/NLM2010-07-25.pdf

Automobile makers under Myanma Automobile and Diesel Engine Industries have just started to produce . . . [the] Myanmar Electric Vehicle (MEV) . . . [Compiler’s Note: The MEV is not mentioned among vehicles on display at an exhibition in Yangon in June that occurs later in this article.]

Maung Maung Myint Swe, NLM, 18/03/10. Edited and condensed.

http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs08/NLM2010-03-18.pdf

At its meeting on 05/03/10, the Special Projects Implementation Committee received guidance on a project to produce electric automobiles to be implemented by the Ministry of Industry-2. I was eager to write about this new project so I visited [the offices of the ministry in Yangon]. I was warmly welcomed by officials and got facts about the project which is designed to produce one-ton, 1.5-ton and two-ton electric automobiles. The Ministry of Industry- 2 has gained a lot of experience in the auto industry. The vehicles it already makes are fine, strong, and user-friendly and have won customer satisfaction. The electric automobiles it will produce will help the country to catch up with global changes in the auto industry. The documentary photos and statistics on electric vehicles [to be] produced with international auto technology are very interesting and eco-friendly. They help curb air pollution because they consume less fuel. The electric vehicles the ministry will produce are common sizes in workplaces. Thorough research has been carried out so as to avert potential weaknesses. They will be suitable for factories, mills, airports and hospitals. In particular, they can be used with convenience in transporting goods of light weight, and passengers. Under the programme, the ministry plans to produce 200 units a year at the automobile factory in Yangon. I am confident that this project will bring a lot of benefits to the nation since the products are ecofriendly and will help reduce air pollution. (The article in the print edition of NLM is accompanied by a photo of a mockup of a sample electric automobile to be produced by the ministry.]

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CONTROVERSIAL HATGYI DAM TO GO AHEAD

Watcharapong Thongrung, Chularat Saengpassa, Nation, Bangkok, 16/02/10

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2010/02/16/business/business_30122674.php
The Energy Ministry of Thailand will proceed with the construction of the Hatgyi dam and hydropower plant in Burma, despite a local requirement to enhance the environmental impact assessment and information disclosure for greater transparency. "There will be more studies. Although this may lead to a delay, the project is not scrapped," Energy Permanent Secretary Pornchai Rujiprapa said yesterday. Most of the electricity from the 1.36 gigawatt plant will be supplied to Thailand.
Pornchai, as chairman of the subcommittee on power cooperation with neighbouring countries, said the Energy Ministry is ready to heed the advice of the committee led by PM's Office Minister Sathit Wongnongtoey. Sathit's committee said the environmental impact assessment be extended while information disclosure must be improved. The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, as the representative of Thailand and the dam operator, will take care of the two issues.
The committee last month submitted the list of recommendations to Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, in a bid to make the investment project more transparent. The committee was set up following the National Human Rights Commission's complaints that the project would directly impact dozens of Karen villages and the villages may have to be relocated from the dam's floodplain. Thousands more will suffer abuses from the Burmese army's attempts to secure the site, which have resulted in several military offensives and a large build-up of troops in the area. All of the dams planned on the Salween River will greatly disrupt the riverine ecosystem and destroy the livelihoods of those peoples living along the river.
Sathit said in a telephone interview that the hold-up of the project should not cause diplomatic displeasure with Burma. He also referred to the cool response from Egat towards the proposals. "The committee's concern was the repercussions on Burma, not the impacts on Egat's investment," he said. Next week, the committee will convene to monitor Egat's reactions to the suggestions. It will also work on the structure of the information disclosure unit, as well as its scope of responsibility.
Montree Chantawong, coordinator of Towards Ecological Recovery and Regional Alliance (Terra), was pleased with the Sathit committee's resolutions, which should create a more transparent disclosure channel. Egat has so far refrained from releasing the full EIA, claiming that it needed Burma's consent to submit the full report, he said. The civic groups received only a brief summary in English.
The civic groups actually want the government to terminate the investment outright, Montree said. While people in Karen State would be saved, Egat does not need power from Burma. However, the construction will fuel fighting and suppression of the minority tribe. Montree also urged the government to ask for parliamentary approval for the project's EIA, if it continues to support the project. Since the dam will lead to alterations in river flows, which could change Thai territory in Tak's Sob Moei district, the contract needs parliamentary approval under Article 190 of the Constitution, he said. "The Human Rights Commission earlier even urged Egat to conduct a separate EIA on the Thai border, for a clearer impact," he said.
The Burma Rivers Network, comprising organisations representing various dam-affected communities in Burma, says on its website that "large development projects in Burma bring an expanded Burma army presence and the increased use of forced labour. Villagers living downstream from the dams will also face difficulties."
Energy Minister Wannarat Charnnukul insisted that Abhisit has not yet ordered a delay of Hatgyi Dam. The Energy Ministry has worked losely with the Foreign Ministry on the project. Once the negotiations are completed, the issue would be submitted to Parliament under the Constitution, he said.
Pornchai who is also chairman of Egat, stressed that Thailand has followed international human rights and environmental accords. Egat's board of directors recently approved the investment with Sinohydro from China. A joint venture is being set up. Sinohydro will hold a bigger stake than Egat, as it is in charge of securing the loan, while the Burmese government will be a minority partner, Pornchai said.
The hydropower plant was expected to start commercial operations and export power to Thailand in 2015 or 2016. However, due to controversies, the project has been stalled and has not yet been included in the Power Development Plan.
Topographic map reference: Thailand: 1:250,000: Series L509, U.S. Army Map: NE 47-10: Li

Hutgyi dam, 33 km downriver from confluence of Salween and Moei, grid square reference: 19/4, 3/6

http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/ams/indochina_and_thailand/txu-oclc-6535632-ne47-10.jpg
Additional references
Data summary: Hutgyi

See below: ‘Hydropower Dept and EGAT ink agreement on Hutgyi project’ (NLM: 10/12/05)

Mizzima, 14/03/12. Edited and condensed. http://www.mizzima.com/news/inside-burma/6758-push-to-build-big-dams-undermines-peace-process-in-karen-state.html

Two months after an initial cease-fire agreement between the KNU and the Burmese government, military tensions have risen around the planned Hatgyi Dam site on the Salween River. Unusually large amounts of supplies sent to Burmese army camps securing the dam site, and the planned deployment of a new battalion in the area, have prompted the local KNU commander to reinforce his troops around the Burmese bases beginning in February, a statement said. Under pressure from China’s Sinohydro Corporation and the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, the KNU agreed in December 2011 to allow further surveys at the dam site. But the agreement did not provide for increased troops on the part of the Burma army, the statement said. Cease-fire talks have so far failed to establish agreements regarding troop movements on both sides. “At this fragile stage of the cease-fire process, pushing ahead with the Hatgyi Dam will reignite conflict and derail the talks,” said Saw Paul of Karen Rivers Watch. “Investors are sabotaging the hopes of Karen people for lasting peace.” Growing local resentment against dam-builders is putting increased pressure on KNU to take protective action, irrespective of ongoing cease-fire talks, the statement said.

Bangkok Post, 13/02/12. Edited.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/279529/govt-water-management-adviser-revives-salween-dam-idea

Uthen Chatphinyo, water management adviser to Thailand’s PM Yingluck Shinawatra proposes to revive the Hut Gyi dam on the Salween River along with water diversion projects, which were first studied by the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) 20 years ago. According to Egat's study, water can be diverted from Salween River, which borders Thailand and Myanmar, to the Mae Taeng River in Chiang Mai province. The water could then be channelled through natural waterways to Bhumibol dam in Tak province. where it could be used at a proposed 7,000-megawatt hydropower plant. The plant would be located about 200km down from the controversial Hut Gyi dam on the Salween River. An 88km water tunnel would be built from the dam reservoir to divert water to Thailand. The Hut Gyi dam, for which Egat is a joint developer, was suspended following conflicts between the dam developers and minority groups occupying the dam site and outcry from human rights and environmental groups about the dam's impacts. Mr Uthen said the proposed 200-billion-baht dam and water diversion project is worth the investment. The Salween dam would allow major dams in Thailand to discharge water ahead of the rainy season without having to worry about possible water shortages in the dry season because authorities could divert up to 3 billion cubic metres of water from Salween dam, he said. The idea was not new and the scheme was approved by the Thaksin Administration in 2004, but had never materialised due to political changes. Regarding possible conflicts with riverside residents, Mr Uthen said this should not be a problem because Myanmar's political situation has stabilised. Pongdith Potchana, assistant to the Egat's governor Sutat Patmasiriwat, said the hydropower dam is a key for clean energy development in the future. The 7,000 megawatts of electricity generated by the Salween dam would mean Thailand would not have to build more coal-fired power plants and could delay the construction of a nuclear power plant for 15 years. Mr Uthen said he would propose the idea for Ms Yingluck's consideration soon.

Karen Information Centre (KIC), 08/06/11. Edited and condensed.

http://www.burmariversnetwork.org/news/11-news/578-villagers-fear-salween-dam.html

Three hundred protesters -– all directly affected by the proposed Hatgyi Dam -- gathered on the banks of the Salween river to protest against the planned construction with shouts of 'Stop the dam on the Salween’ and ‘EGAT, get out’. The protest took place at Wai Kyi on the Thai side of the Salween River on March 15, the 8th International Day of Action Against Dams. Villagers on both sides of the river are united in their opposition to the dam. Naw Eh Paw lives on the Burma side and is worried the Burma army will attack her village. “If they go ahead with the dam. We dare not stay in our village because we are close to the dam site – they’ll want us to leave.” The Salween is the main artery that pumps life into the local communities on both banks of the border. The villagers rely on it for fish, and the animals and plants that inhabit the rich jungles nourished by the river. The lack of infrastructure in the area, especially all-weather roads, means the Salween is the main means of transport for people needing to get to markets to sell their produce or buy supplies. The villagers are not the only ones opposed to the dam’s construction. The Karen National Libration Army (KNLA) said the proposed dam will cut off their ability to move supplies and fighters along large tracts of the river. Local villagers fear a major Burma army offensive is being planned to move KNLA forces out of the area and they will get caught in the crossfire. They say the Burma army will target villages in an attempt to secure and clear the area.

Karen Information Centre, 01/03/11. Edited and condensed.

http://www.bnionline.net/feature/kic/10171-hatgyi-dam-genrates-problems-for-karen-farmers.html

Karen farmers along the Salween River are worried about the flooding that will result from the construction of the Hatgyi dam. “We don’t want any dams in our area,” said Saw Kyaw Phoe from Mae Par village in the upper part of the construction site. “If the dam is built, our village -- the whole area -- including our paddy farms and our gardens will be flooded. I, myself, will have no place to live,” he said. “We depend on the Salween to irrigate our farms, but the dam will destroy our livelihood,” he told the Karen Information Center in a recent interview. Saw Kyaw Phoe and his family used to grow fruit, tobacco, peas, beans, chili and other vegetables on the banks of the Salween, when the river was low in the summer. Since the elections in Burma in Nov-2010, the Burmese Army and Border Guard battalions have been patrolling the area where the dam will be built. In Dec-2010 Kyaw Phoe and his family moved to Mae Par which lies outside the patrol area. “We are human beings. The foreign investors should sympathize with the problems this dam construction is bringing to our lives. I am asking them to stop the dam construction,” he said. [ A photo showing a section of the Salween and the longboats used by the Karen people who travel on the river is included with the article.]

NLM, 23/1010. http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs09/NLM2010-10-23.pdf

EPM-1 Zaw Min meets with President Fan Jixiang of Sino Hydro Corp in Nay Pyi Taw. They discuss cooperation in implementing hydropower projects.

Thomas Kean, Myanmar Times, 03/05/10 (Vol 26: 521). Edited and condensed.

http://mmtimes.com/2010/business/521/b02.html

A hydropower project in eastern Myanmar appears to be back on track after a new Memorandum of Agreement – four and a half years after the original – was signed on April 24 in Nay Pyi Taw. The MoA for the Hutgyi project was signed by the Dept of Hydropower Planning under EPM-1, China’s SinoHydro Corp, the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) International and a local firm, the International Group of Entrepreneurs (IGE) at the ministry building, state media reported last week. The 1360-megawatt (MW) Hutgyi dam will be built in Kayin State along the Thanl win River; the cost is tipped at more than US$1 billion. The dam will comprise eight 170MW turbines, according to SinoHydro, which is providing most of the financing for the project. A feasibility study and detailed design report were completed in August and September 2007 respectively but construction work is yet to get underway. Last week’s report did not give an expected completion date for the project. The dam was originally expected to begin generating electricity in 2015 or 2016.

NLM, 25/04/10. http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs08/NLM2010-04-25.pdf

A Memorandum of Agreement on the Hutgyi hydropower project was signed at the Ministry of Electric Power No 1 in Nay Pyi Taw on 24/04/10. The agreement will be implemented by the Dept of Hydro-power Planning under EPM-1, the SinoHydro Corporation Ltd of the PRC, EGAT International Co Ltd of Thailand and the International Group of Entrepreneurs Co Ltd (IGE). After EPM-1 Zaw Min delivered an opening address, Deputy Governor Wirash Kanchanapibul of EGAT International Co Ltd of Thailand spoke words of thanks. Director-General Kyee Soe of DHP, Vice President Shen Decai of SinoHydro Corp, Deputy Governor Sahust Pratuknukul of EGAT International, of Thailand and a representative of the International Group of Entrepreneurs Co Ltd signed the contract. Also present on the occasion were government officials and Chairman Nay Aung of the International Group of Entrepreneurs.

Hydrochina Zhongnan Engineering Corporation, 15/03/10. http://en.msdi.cn/showArticle.aspx?id=6

From March 3 to 13, [2010] HydroChina ZhongNan Hutgyi PMO, SinoHydro International Engineering Co., Ltd., SinoHydro Foundation Engineering Co., Ltd., Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT), and Myanmar IGE Co., Ltd. jointly carried out a field survey for Hutgyi hydropower project in Myanmar. The main purposes of this survey are to investigate the topographic and geologic conditions of the dam site, quarry and access road [and] find out the site conditions for supplementary engineering survey to preliminarily determine the route, measures and logistic guarantee necessary for the survey, further understand the natural conditions and social customs of Myanmar and Thailand, [to] discuss with the various parties on the physical quantities of supplementary survey and field testing, schedule and work division, [to] investigate the cement production level, yield and quality in Myanmar, and [to] select the sites for new hydrometric stations.

William Boot, IRROL, 20/02/10. http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=17855

The large-scale hydroelectric dam proposed for the River Salween at Hatgyi might never be built—at least not by Thailand. That’s the view of some energy industry analysts following the Bangkok government’s announcement that further environmental studies of the estimated US $1 billion project. “This new stall indicates that the government of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva is having second thoughts,” Bangkok analyst Collin Reynolds told The Irrawaddy. “It’s not so much concern about the environment as it is about need. Since the dam plans were first drawn up, the Thai Energy Ministry and EGAT have been revising down their forecasts of future power need. And for a guy like Abhisit with his Western background, there is just too much dirty backwash politics in the Hatgyi project.” Abhisit, under pressure from environmental and human rights groups, has ordered closer scrutiny of Hatgyi, which would lead to the forced displacement of many Karen people.

Yuthana Praiwan, Bangkok Post, 08/10/09. http://www.individual.com/story.php?story=108188964

With power demand falling, Egat International Co, an overseas investment arm of the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, is shifting its focus to operating and maintenance services for power plant operators. The international business subsidiary, established in 2007, oversees all of Egat's investments outside Thailand. But plummeting power demand has made Egat International postpone two overseas projects -- the 440-megawatt Nam Ngiep hydropower plant in Laos and the Hutgyi hydropower plant in Burma -- neither of which have started construction. Egat holds both plants' operating licences from their governments. To develop its new business focus, Egat International is in talks with the US-based GE Group on conducting a feasibility study into providing operating and maintenance services to privately run power plants.

NLM, 01/10/09. http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs07/NLM2009-10-01.pdf

EPM-1 Zaw Min receives V-P Bi Ya'xiong of China Three Gorges Project Corporation (CTGPC) of the PRC and MD Pronte Chai and party of Egat International Co Ltd of Thailand for discussions on co-operation between the two countries.

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