Energy poverty in Myanmar: only 34% of the population have grid quality electricity

Energy poverty in Myanmar: only 34% of the population have grid quality
electricity

Research shared at a workshop in Yangon with government officials, private
sector and civil society organisations shows that, at most, only 34 per cent
of the population has access to grid quality electricity, and 38,000
villages have no electricity at all.

Firewood is the primary fuel for most rural households in Myanmar. It is
time consuming and expensive and there are concerns about health impacts of
indoor pollution. (Photo: Soneva Foundation, Creative Commons via Flickr)

The findings are the early results from research carried out by three
international organisations - the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development
(CAFOD), IIED and the Institute for Essential Services Reform (IESR).

Access to modern energy, both electricity and clean cooking solutions, is
crucial for reducing poverty and driving sustainable economic development.
The new global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) agreed at the end of
2015 recognise this by including a goal on ensuring universal access to
affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy by 2030.

The research also shows that one of the biggest barriers to accessing
electricity in Myanmar is affordability. Connecting to the grid is currently
prohibitive for most households, costing up to US$900 per connection.

There is also a perception that "off-grid" solar home systems are poor
quality and unreliable. Another important point is that consumer demand in
peak times is greater than supply, so even the needs of those connected to
the grid are not being fully met.

For cooking, firewood is the primary fuel for more than two thirds of
households, raising concerns about negative health impacts from indoor
pollution.

Myanmar has set ambitious national targets with electrification of 50 per
cent of households by 2020 and up to 100 per cent by 2030. But meeting these
targets could prove a challenge without new approaches, including supporting
reliable and affordable solutions for people living off the grid.

The Yangon workshop on 5 May, 2016 presented an innovative approach to
designing energy services so they meet the needs of people living in energy
poverty and are sustainable over the long term, the Energy Delivery Model
(EDM) approach. It follows similar events held in Cambodia and Indonesia
that are the first phase of a regional project by CAFOD, IIED and IESR.

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Link to Original Article:
https://www.iied.org/energy-poverty-myanmar-only-34-population-have-grid-qua
lity-electricity

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John Diecker
APT Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

www.aptthailand.com