March 4 – The completion and handing over ceremony for the Project for Rehabilitation of Baluchaung No.2 Hydropower Plant took place at Baluchaung No. 2 Hydropower Plant in Loikaw, Kayah State. The ceremony was attended by H.E. Khin Maung Soe, Union Minister for Electricity, H.E. Khin Maung Oo, Chief Minister of Kayah State, Yoshito SENGOKU, Vice President of Japan-Myanmar Association, H.E. Tateshi HIGUCHI, Ambassador of Embassy of Japan in Myanmar, Keiichiro NAKAZAWA, Chief Representative of JICA Myanmar Office and other distinguished guests.
The said project has been funded by the Japanese ODA and the grant agreement for the project was signed on March 22, 2013 between the Ministry of Electric Power and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to rehabilitate and renew Baluchaung No. 2 hydropower plant which is crucial in the national grid. The maximum grant amount is Six billion six hundred and sixty nine million Japanese Yen (JPY 6, 669,000,000) ( around $ 59 million).
Hydropower is prime power source in Myanmar and Baluchaung No.2 Hydropower Plant, with installed capacity of 168MW (28MW x 6 units), was originally built by Japanese financial assistance based on the historic post-war agreement between the two governments. The facilities were renovated and refurbished in late 1980s by Japanese ODA loan, further rehabilitation was once again done in 2003 by Japanese Grant Aid.
This project is 2nd phase of rehabilitation and has replaced the turbines and generators of all units and the associated substation equipments, which are essential to restoration of technical performance, reliability and safety in order to achieve further long-term sustainable operation.
After more than half a century since its first operation, Baluchaung No. 2 still generates around 10 percent of national power generation output, and has been maintaining the highest operating rate among the hydropower stations in Myanmar.
