Myanmar 'must review energy policies'

Myanmar 'must review energy policies'

WITH two-third of the population lacking access to the national grid,
Myanmar needs to find the most suitable energy policies for domestic
consumption, according to civil society organisations.

A total of 422 CSOs signed a statement that called a halt to coal plants and
mega dams at the end of the recent Myanmar Green Energy Forum. The event
aims at promotion and strengthening of green activism in Myanmar through
coalition building and coordinated advocacy as well as boosting
communication between anti-dam and anti-coal groups in the country.

Aung Myint, general secretary of Renewable Energy Association Myanmar
(REAM), said on Tuesday that Aung San Suu Kyi-led government should not
repeat the mistakes of previous administrations.

"The government needs to be transparent about the future of proposed coal
power plants and hydropower dams in Myanmar and quickly inform the public
about its energy plans. All contracts for proposed mega development projects
should be published without hesitation," he said.

Aung Myint noted that Myanmar's energy plans place a heavy focus on coal and
hydropower as solutions to its energy needs. He suggested shifting the focus
on renewable energy, especially community-owned off-grid solutions, which
can be much cheaper than expansion of the national grid.

According to Myanmar's energy master plan released earlier this year with
the support of Asian Development Bank, the nation aims to provide
electricity to everyone in Myanmar by 2030, with 38 per cent from
hydropower,33 per cent coming from coal, 20 per cent from natural gas, and
only 9 per cent from renewable energy.

"If we can produce strategically, renewable energy would be the cheapest
solution for power production. Unfortunately, it is the least important in
the energy mix because it is hard to get connected to the national grid. But
we can make use of the latest technologies to make it happen," he said.

According to Aung Myint, the government needs to set policies to encourage
the use of renewable energy, especially in off-grid areas.

"We have abundant resources for renewable energy. We can improve our solar
home system, and have a lot of places suitable for wind energy. Especially,
we have bright potential for the solar business. But we do not have clear
policy for the green energy. As a result, we may face the influx of factory
default solar products from China," he said.

Saw Tha Phoe, coordinator of Karen Environmental & Social Action Network,
said that mega hydropower dams and coal-fired power plants threatened to
uproot communities, damage ecosystems, livelihoods, food security, and
ethnic culture, cause pollution, fuel climate change and aggravate conflicts
across the country.

"For decades, Myanmar's military rulers approved destructive energy projects
that exported electricity to neighbouring countries, while local communities
suffered only negative impacts," he said.

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John Diecker
APT Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

www.aptthailand.com