17 March

Union Minister for Electricity and Energy U Win Khaing attended the opening ceremony of a 225 Megawatt Natural Gas Power Plant, yesterday, which was held at the power plant near the Myingyan Steel Factory, Myingyan Township, Myingyan District, and Mandalay Region. The 225 Megawatt Natural Gas power Plant was built by Sembcorp Power Myanmar Co.Ltd.

In his opening remarks at the ceremony, Union Minister U Win Khaing said that the natural gas power plant was one of the power plants and the plants is distributing a 225 megawatt to the whole country by connecting with 230 KV Myingyan-Thabyewa power line. In supplying the power line, efforts would be made to be the stable, reliable and good-quality power supplier to the people. In doing so, people could enjoy the benefits of power outages, steady power consumption and higher-usage of electricity. During the past years, there were several power breakdowns and we could now reduce the system break downs significantly. Implementation would be made not to occur again the system breakdown. There would have auxiliary power plants which could made stable, reliable and good quality power supply. Arrangements were being made to produce another 3000 megawatt that is available in three years.

Out of 10.877 households in Myanmar, there was some 4.709 million (43 per cent) households that had gained the electricity supply, and there still remained some 6.168 (57 per cent) millions of households that remained to get the electricity supply. In an effort to fulfill the requirements of the people, the Ministry of Electricity and Energy has been striving hard with the use of funding from the Pyidaungsu Finance fund and Region / State’s funding. About 50 per cent of the households would get access to electricity in November. Efforts were being made to supply the electricity (55 per cent) and above amount in 2021 and 75 per cent of electricity in 2026 while priority is given to supply the electricity to the whole country.

Then Mr. Chee Hong Tat, the Senior Minister of State for Trade, Industry and Education, Mandalay Region Electricity and Industry Minister U Zar Ni Aung, Singaporean Ambassador to Myanmar and CEO of Sembcory Industries Ltd Mr. Neil McGregor extended their greetings and played video records. Following that, Amyotha Hluttaw Representative U Aung Myo Latt expressed his thanks at the event.

Deputy Minister Dr. Tun Naing, U Hlaing Win, Committee Chairman of Mandalay Region Industry, Energy and Electricity Affairs Committee U Hlaing Win, Mandalay Region Electricity and Industry Minister U Zar Ni Aung, Myingyan Pyithu Hluttaw representative U Sein Myint and U Sit Aye, managing director and members of SMC opened the event with a ribbon-cutting.

Afterwards, Union Minister U Win Khaing, Singapore’s Senior Minister of State for Trade, Industry and Education Mr Chee Hong Tat, Mandalay Region Hluttaw Speaker U Aung Kyaw Oo and C.E.O of Sembcorp Industries Ltd Mr. Neil McGregor opened the signboard of a commemorative inscribed stone by pressing a button and observed the compound of the factory. — MNA (Translated by Win Ko Ko Aung)