Myanmar, South Korea to cooperate in developing electric power network

Jul 4, 2007 - Xinhua

South Korea and Myanmar will cooperate in developing Myanmar's electric power network dealing with management and operation under a three-year project worth 1.4 million U.S. dollars, the local Flower News reported Wednesday.

The network development project, which will be implemented by South Korea's International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and the state-run Myanmar Electric Power Enterprise, will include transfer of Korean knowledge and experience in power system operation and protection, general facilities testing, fault analysis and the provision of relay equipment, the KOICA was quoted as saying.

The project, which is funded by the KOICA and undertaken by the Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO), is currently starting with the power lines and power substations in Yangon and Mandalay, said the report. And technical training will also be conducted with officials in Bago division's Thayagon sub-power station.

The KOICA funded two other projects in 2001-02 and 2004-05 relating to electric power system network study and an electricity transmission system.

Myanmar had a total of over 1,775 megawatts (mw) of installed generating capacity of electric power as of September 2006, up from 706.82 mw in 1988, according to official statistics. The country's electric power generation was registered at 6.014 billion kilowatt-hours (kwh) in 2005-06, up from 2.2 billion kwh in 1988-89. The power generation for the first half (April- September) of 2006-07 was 3.153 billion kwh.

As for the country's power transmission and distribution lines, it was extended to 20,662 miles (33,059 kilometers) in 2005-06 from 10,733 miles in 1988-89, an increase of 9,929 miles or 1.9 times.

Meanwhile, other official statistics show that South Korea's investment in Myanmar has reached 191.31 million dollars in 34 projects as of January this year since the country opened to foreign investment in late 1988.