Myanmar: Residents fear restart of coal power plant

Myanmar: Residents fear restart of coal power plant

A coal-fired power plant in southern Shan State that was shut down two years
ago due to residents' complaints may be reopening, despite the opposition of
the local community, villagers say. They are already accusing local
officials of breaking their promises.

A truck carries coal to the Tigyit facility, the first coal-fired power
plant to have been built in the country.StaffA truck carries coal to the
Tigyit facility, the first coal-fired power plant to have been built in the
country.Staff

Test operations at the plant, in Tigyit village, Pinlaung township, were
carried out on October 22, apparently in advance of a resumption of
activity. The state government says the reopening of the plant depends on
the results of the tests.

Villager U Sein Thaung said yesterday that the government and the plant's
management had failed to inform residents about the tests. He said he and
his neighbours still object to its reopening.

"The company should have told us they were going to run tests, but they
don't care about us. And the Shan State government told us they wouldn't
allow the plant to reopen if we objected. It looks like they broke their
promise."

Tigyit was the first coal-fired power plant to be built in the country, by
Myanma Electric Power Enterprise in 2001. Operations began in 2005, under
the management of China National Heavy Machinery Corporation, with local
companies Eden Group and Shan Yoma Nagar. The upgrading work is being
carried out by Wuxi Huagaung Electric Power Engineering, also of China.

Although the plant's two coal-fired turbines have a capacity of 60 megawatts
each, it is estimated that their combined output is now only 60MW, according
to the Myanmar Alliance for Transparency and Accountability (MATA).

Ko Moe, a member of MATA, said the government should refuse permission to
restart the power plant because the fumes from it will affect residents'
health and damage the environment. Tigyit is not far from Inle Lake, a major
tourist attraction.

"The plant will release pollutants into the air that would foul the
atmosphere. We're worried that the government might allow the plant to
reopen," he said.

U Soe Soe Zaw, secretary of the Shan State government, told The Myanmar
Times yesterday that the government had only agreed to allow test operations
to assess possible effects on the environment.

"The plant's future depends on the results of the tests. The company must
submit a report on the effects on the environment and the local population.
If the results are bad, the plant will stay shut," he said.

The former government signed at least 11 contracts for coal-fired power
plants around the country with a number of international and regional
companies. None of these projects has yet come online due to widespread
opposition by the public, local residents and environmental groups.

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Ref:
http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/national-news/23280-residents-fear-restart-
of-coal-power-plant.html

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John Diecker
APT Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

www.aptthailand.com