Solar energy is just beginning to gain some traction in Myanmar, a country that has been gradually opening up its economy and society to the world since 2011. Demand for energy has been growing fast, in parallel with the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) member's economy, and solar ener Contact online >>
Solar energy is just beginning to gain some traction in Myanmar, a country that has been gradually opening up its economy and society to the world since 2011. Demand for energy has been growing fast, in parallel with the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) member''s economy, and solar energy is competing against a variety of conventional, as well as alternative low- or zero-carbon, energy resources for its share of Myanmar''s energy mix.
Renewable energy, in the form of large-scale hydroelectric power, already accounts for around 60%, the single largest share, of Myanmar''s electricity generation mix. The country also has an abundance of natural gas, an important export and the source of hard, foreign currency export revenues, as well as domestic power generation.
Solar could play a big role in achieving Myanmar''s energy access, renewable energy and climate change goals, as well as go a long way towards setting Myanmar firmly on a sustainable development pathway, however. Levels vary widely across this geographically diverse Southeast Asian nation, but on the whole, Myanmar is endowed with an abundance of solar energy resource potential,
"Myanmar has incredible potential for solar energy: the International Growth Centre has estimated Myanmar''s solar potential to be 51.973 TWh (terawatt-hours) annually," according to FinerGreen and ABO Wind, the authors of the SolarPower Europe Emerging Markets Task Force''sMyanmar research report, which was released in May.
However, there is still a lot of work to be done by the government to unleash this solar potential and attract foreign direct investment in the solar industry in Myanmar.
A nation of some 55 million and growing as of a 2014 census, just 42% of Myanmar households had access to electricity, according to the first, June 2019 nationwide assessment of distributed energy market potential in Myanmar, which was produced by Smart Power Myanmar, a national platform with a mandate to advance a modern energy ecosystem in the country.
Myanmar is one of the most poorly electrified countries in Southeast Asia, with an average electrification rate of 39% at the end of 2017. According to the Germanwatch Global Climate Risk Index, Myanmar was also one of the countries that was most affected by extreme weather events in the years between 1997 and 2016. The country would therefore benefit from decentralized power generation solutions, like solar.
That said, Myanmar''s economy grew from 5.6% to 8% from fiscal year 2011 to 2015, fueled by strong growth in the construction, manufacturing and services sectors, according to the Asian Development Bank''s (ADB) December 2016 Myanmar: Energy Sector Assessment, Strategy and Road Map report. ADB forecast that GDP growth would accelerate to 8.3% in fiscal year 2015 and continue around that level in 2016.
"This optimistic projection is based on the country''s abundant natural resources; strategic location at the crossroads of Asia; and a large, youthful population. To realize it, however, the country needs to successfully implement extensive reforms and integrated policies, build basic infrastructure, and tackle many bottlenecks. The development of energy sector is key to the country''s future," the ADB report authors wrote.
Myanmar is able to produce between 2.9 gigawatts (GW) and 3.1 GW of electricity, according to media sources. Recent estimates by the World Bank forecast energy consumption in Myanmar would grow at an average 11% rate out to 2030. The World Bank also forecast that peak electricity demand would rise to 8.6 GW by 2025 and 12.6 GW by 2030.
Half the electricity produced in Myanmar is consumed in Yangon, its largest city and commercial hub. Rolling blackouts and brownouts are common occurrences across the country, however. Furthermore, electricity consumption per capita ranked among the lowest in the world at just 110 kilowatt-hours (kWh) as of 2011, according to ADB''s 2016 report. That compares to a world average of 3,000 kWh per capita and an average of 174 kWh per capita for least-developed countries.
"According to the Ministry of Electricity and Energy (MOEE), there are 10.9 million households in Myanmar of which only 4.71 million are on the national grid. Myanmar''s National Electrification Project (NEP) aims to supply electricity to nearly 700,000 households in more than 8,000 villages by 2021," according to SolarPower Europe''s Myanmar research team.
"Traditional biomass (mainly firewood and agricultural wastes) is widely used by most rural people, particularly for cooking and lighting, and access to conventional energy resources is very limited, which impacts the welfare of these people. After the country''s opening in 2011, the demand for energy from industry, commerce, and residential sectors is on the rise, placing pressure on the limited energy infrastructure," ADB elaborates in its report.
ADB estimated that Myanmar would need to double its energy sector investments to some US$2 billion per year, double historic levels to realize the multilateral development bank''s economic growth forecast. Five gigawatts of new electrical power capacity would need to be added to Myanmar''s generation capacity by 2025, roughly three times the capacity that was added over the same period in the past.
More recent projections from the World Bank expect economic growth to rise to 6.5% in the 2018–19 fiscal year. In addition to the need to invest US$2 billion annually to add new electricity generation capacity, projects would need to be implemented three times as fast as they have been to meet growing demand.
Rising electricity demand, rapid demographic growth and rapid growth of installed solar power capacity in neighboring countries, such as China, India and Thailand, offer opportunities for Myanmar to increase its installed solar power capacity, SolarPower Europe''s Myanmar researchers highlight. "Average annual total of solar power production in Myanmar varies between 1,150 kWh/kWp (kilowatt-peak) and 1,600 kWh/kWp, with high values in the central region. In the mountains, power production is lower: up to 20% or more due to terrain shading," according to their Myanmar research report.
Myanmar''s solar power potential is estimated to total around 35 gigawatts-peak (GWp). "So far, less than 1% has been installed so there is huge solar potential," they highlighted. Very good solar potential exists in the central lowlands of Myanmar, where demand is the highest, they added. "Solar can effectively counterbalance the electricity shortage during the dry season, while not occupying too much grid capacity during the rainy season."
"Low energy access rates, high solar irradiance for most of the year, supply lagging behind the demand, [and the] high cost of electricity generation," are key factors that make Myanmar an attractive destination for solar energy investment and deployment, Richard Harrison, Smart Power Myanmar CEO, told Solar Magazine. Furthermore, the economics of solar are increasingly attractive given electricity rateshaving been hiked substantially this past June.
On the other hand, the lack of a supportive, consistent regulatory policy and broader institutional framework serves as a barrier to solar and renewable energy market and industry development and growth, Harrison added. So does fossil fuel subsidies.
"Improving framework conditions for doing solar business would be an important step in developing Myanmar''s solar 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 development and attract investment," according to SolarPower Europe''s Myanmar research team.
"Moreover, solar can help ensure a just energy transition for citizens affected by energy poverty...Furthermore, 75–85% of Myanmar''s population of lives within a 25–50-kilometer radius of high voltage power lines, which makes for ideal locations to develop medium- and large-scale solar projects," they noted. "Since many households have no electricity at all, solar has already helped many homes with very small systems. This is very positive for many people. As of now, there is no scheme for utility-scale solar power plants in place."
Myanmar has taken initial steps towards realizing its renewable energy, climate change and universal electrification goals. Myanmar''s government has set modest goals of renewable energy resources generating 8% of national output by 2021 and 12% by 2025, as well as universal electrification by 2030. In addition, a total of 68 townships and 5,191 villages had received 24x7 access to electricity servicesbetween 2016 and 2019, according to state media.
A draft Renewable Energy Law has been created, but the government has yet to approve it. In addition, there haven''t been any beneficial changes made "to establish competitive tenders or incentives for renewables, which makes them expensive and with the current electricity tariff that does not guarantee cost-recovery. It''s difficult to compete with hydro or fossil fuel projects," Smart Power Myanmar''s Harrison said in an interview.
That said, Myanmar''s Department of Rural Development is leading an initiative to deploy "renewable energy-based mini-grids for rural electrification, replacing diesel and kerosene as the sources of rural energy. Private companies, such as Yoma Micropower, are also developing off-grid projects: commercial and industrial, as well as residential microgrids," Harrison said.
State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi in June 2018 officially commissioned the first, 50-MWdc/40-MWac, phase of Myanmar''s inaugural commercial solar power facility, the 220-MWdc/170-MWac, US$297 million Minbu Solar Power Plant. The project is being carried out over a projected four-year period by Green Earth Power, a joint venture between an international consortium made up of East Coast Furnitech, Scan Inter, Thailand''s META Corp. as project developer and lead contractor, and the Myanmar government.
All told, Minbu is expected to produce some 3.5 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of emissions-free electrical energy annually, enough to power some 210,000 average households. Electricity from the plant will be sold to the state''s Electric Power Generation Enterprise (EPGE) as governed by the Ministry of Electricity and Energy.
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