The French government has pledged to provide Myanmar with $1 million to assist in performing a feasibility study for the planned Laymyo hydropower plant located in Rakhine state in western Myanmar, according to officials from the Department of Electric Power Planning of Myanmar.
The project is expected to generate 690 megawatts (MW) of electricity divided among two power stations: Laymyo 1 at 600 MW and Laymyo 2 at 90 MW. Many hydropower projects, including Laymyo, was suspended by the previous government due to environmental, social, and financial concerns.
The feasibility study will be undertaken by international engineering consultancy firm Tractebel, a Belgium-headquartered company providing worldwide solutions in energy, water and infrastructure projects.
The World Bank has estimated Myanmar’s hydropower potential up to 10 gigawatts (GW) and the country aims for 100 percent of the population to have access to electricity by 2030. Currently, only 30 percent has access. The country has long been largely dependent on hydropower for electricity as it cannot afford other options due to lack of available technology.
“The project is being undertaken on our own budget but we have financial constraints. If we can get financial assistance from France, the project can easily be accomplished,” says the ministry’s Permanent Secretary U Htein Lwin.
